


a rose by any other name (may not be as sweet)

by sunshineflying



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, The Bachelor AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-05-21 08:20:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 120,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6044665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineflying/pseuds/sunshineflying
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Welcome to The Bachelor!</p><p>This season's bachelor is the handsome Niall Horan, and he's looking for the man or woman of his dreams. Set in an alternate universe where nobody does what they do in real life, nobody met before the show, and bi/pan bachelors on TV are a thing, watch as Niall goes through the process of trying to find love via reality <strike>television</strike> fanfiction. </p><p>Posted weekly on Wednesdays. Ten episodes in all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Week One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow so I've become really addicted to The Bachelor and then this was born. I ship Niall with so many people it's not even funny, so this gave me an opportunity to write those ships and then some, all in one big fic.
> 
> This first chapter is the shortest, because there are so many people (and I didn't want to come up with 24 different celebs he could date just to have him dump a bunch in the first chapter or two), but I can promise you it gets juicy and far more detailed next chapter!
> 
> NOTE: I'm no expert on the show. I'm taking creative liberties with this (duh) not only because there are males AND females trying to date and marry Niall, but because I'm making up one on ones, two on ones, the elimination patterns, etc. to sort of suit my needs. Hopefully it still works for you!

Niall Horan wrings his hands together, nervousness coursing through his veins. He stands powerfully, legs shoulders width apart, hands in front of him. He steels his expression, tries not to think about the way his hair feels like it’s losing its quiff just slightly, slouching over to the left. His suit feels just a little bit stifling as he thinks about what this night entails, what he’s going to be doing. He wants to unfasten the buttons on his suit coat, just a little so he can breathe, but he needs to look his best more than anything else. Niall fidgets for a moment, one hand in the other, before bringing it to his face to adjust his brown tortoise-shell glasses.

This is it. This is the moment.

Rather than making an impression on anybody else, Niall just gets to sit back, relax, and let others make an impression on him. Because Niall Horan is The Bachelor, as in _The_ with a capital ‘T’ – TV’s next Bachelor. He’s going to date these men and women who come out of the limo, one by one. He’s going to date multiple people at once to try to find a husband or wife amidst all the drama, all the confusion.

He sees headlights coming down the drive and this is it. Here comes the first person.

The entire process passes in a blur, though realistically it takes ages. It confuses Niall, how this process can feel so drawn out yet pass in the blink of an eye, all at the same time. They’d started as soon as the sun crossed the horizon behind him, nighttime finally blanketing England, and now it was nearly sunrise when he was being ushered through the Eastwell Manor in Kent, their home for most of the process, to hand out the first impression rose.

He remembers the delicious tart that had been delivered by a gorgeous, curly-haired man – Harry, was his name – while he made a rather horrid joke about how he might be bringing a tart as a welcome gift, but he’s not a tart himself. But however awful the joke might’ve been, Niall got to eat the tart between camera setups and more first meetings, and it was delicious. And Harry was so earnest and tried very hard to make Niall laugh. He definitely won’t be forgetting Harry anytime soon.

And he remembers gorgeous, gorgeous Jade with her thick accent and her contagious laughter. He remembers the way her dress hugged her every curve and her eyes danced when she saw him. She’d hugged him, given him a soft kiss on the cheek, and complimented him on how smart his glasses make him look. Niall had blushed like mad.

Niall remembers Nick, tall and handsome and a little gangly but very, very endearing. He’d been so sweet, pulling Niall into a hug right away, warm and strong and surrounding all his senses. He’d smelled lovely, warm and expensive, and Niall very much likes that Nick is taller than him.

Bressie was also taller than him, though, and probably twice the breadth of Nick as well. He’d introduced himself as Niall with a coy look on his face, and then tried to make it all feel a little less confusing, two Nialls dating each other, by saying his nickname was Bressie. He was the first Irishman Niall had met during the course of first impressions, so he’d instantly gained Niall’s favour.

There were a couple other men and women from Ireland too, and Niall breathed a sigh of relief when he realized. The logistics of figuring out where to settle down with someone from England would be a nightmare, especially if they were especially tied to a job or family member near their hometown. Niall’s open to negotiation, but nothing warms his heart as much as a cosy night in his home in Ireland.

There had been Ellie, who sang him a song she wrote, and Barbara, who was wearing the most jaw-dropping red dress in the world as she danced like a dork down the pathway to him. And then there was Liam. Sweet, handsome Liam, who’d brought a massive bouquet of flowers for Niall. As he walked down the path to where Niall was standing, he hid behind them, peeking his face out from behind them only at the very last moment to try to soothe some of his own nerves, as well as Niall’s, with a little goofy laughter.

Niall met twenty-four people that first night, more than he can remember the names of, truly, but one stood out to him the most.

He’d heard shouting and screaming before the limo had even pulled up to the drive, and as it came into view, the sounds only got louder. There, peeking out the top of the limo, arms spread out wide like he was on top of the world, was this man. A gorgeous man, with soft-looking hair and bright sparkling eyes, and he had the widest grin on his face. Rather than climbing out like a normal person, he pushed himself all the way out of the roof and slid down the back window of the limo before he walked over to greet Niall, hair windswept and blazer askew.

“Hello there, love,” he said warmly, pulling Niall in for a hug.

Niall was laughing, had been since he’d heard the shouting approaching, and hugged back, letting it linger as long as this man would allow. Niall’s hand drifted over the man’s hip and he gave him a once over before he was told, “I’m Louis. Figured if I’ve only got the one chance to ride in a limo, I’d better make the best of it, yeah?”

And Niall gets it, truly, because without The Bachelor, he’d never be able to experience this sort of luxury, ever. It’s all glammed up for the telly, and they’re staying in a bloody _manor_ for Christ’s sake, so he’s also going to take full advantage of the glamour and privilege while he still can. He’s just a plain member of the working class over in Ireland, after all. This opportunity will never come again.

“Pleased to meet you, Louis,” Niall smiled. “I’m Niall.”

“Yes, you are,” Louis laughed, his hands falling from where he’d been holding Niall around his shoulders. They dropped to his biceps and he smiled, looking mischievous. “Has anyone had the balls to kiss you yet?” he asked bluntly, taking Niall by surprise.

Niall’s eyebrows shot up and he shook his head before he could find his words. Louis is bold, and he’s unabashed, and something about the way he’s so straightforward, taking as much experience out of every second as he possibly can, had Niall intrigued from the very beginning. “Aside from the girls who haven’t got ‘em to begin with… nope,” Niall said finally, chuckling. “Nobody’s kissed me yet.”

“Brilliant,” Louis grinned, and reached up to cup a hand at the nape of Niall’s neck. “Let me be the first then, yeah?”

Niall didn’t fight it, remained pliant in Louis’s hands, and tipped his mouth forward to find Louis’. They were at the same height and it was nice and comfortable, being pressed body to body, the whistling of the wind through the trees on the property providing perfect ambiance for their soft, slow kiss.

Louis looked so cocksure when he pulled away that it left Niall speechless and grinning. He thinks Louis had meant to be this cheeky, that Niall’s inability to reply had been exactly what he was searching for all along. The bastard.

Which is how Niall finds himself in the midst of twenty-four men and women, all of whom are going to try to win his heart and get a proposal out of him, one rose in hand. The first impression rose.

He scans the room, notices how nervous they all look, how they’ve all broken off into little cliques.

He’s been taken by most of them already, in some way or another. Harry’s tart was delicious and Bressie’s short conversation about football before he’d walked into the manor had made Niall feel like he was back in a pub in Ireland, rather than at this big fancy place in England.

But he knows who the rose belongs to. Who deserves it.

“Wow,” Niall begins his speech, looking at the crowd of twenty-four all gathered, drinks in hand, to listen to him. To keep vying for his heart. “It’s so nice to meet all of you. It’s incredible, seeing that you’re all here for little old me.” They all laugh, including Niall, but it doesn’t break the tension. He could slice it with a knife. He holds the rose in his hands, fiddles with it a little, rolls it between his fingers. “But there’s only one first impression rose,” he says, the exact line he’d been fed before they’d set up cameras to film this bit. “And a lot of you had some really great starts with me tonight, but the person who really surprised me and quite honestly made this night so much less stressful is the one who is going to get this rose.”

Niall takes a deep breath, notices the way the man who looks like a model, Zayn, is picking at strings on his jeans, notices the way Laura, one of the beautiful Irish women, is twisting her blonde hair around her fingertip anxiously. “Louis,” Niall says, and pauses for effect. “Will you accept this rose?”

Louis’s smile lights up the whole room when he hears his name, and it fills Niall with a satisfaction he didn’t know he needed. Louis looks genuinely surprised as he walks up to Niall to accept the rose, and takes it before he nods at Niall and smiles. They share a hug, the other contestants in a wide array of disgust and disappointment, though they try to clean up their faces and look pleasant again as Louis takes his seat next to Liam.

They start the cocktail party then, a big block of time where everyone can try to compete and interrupt each other to get some one on one time with Niall. It’s weird for him, having to allow some people to interrupt others, to cut their conversation short, but that’s part of the process – it’s a rule he can’t break.

The first person to ask him to chat privately is a tall, lanky blonde. She’s got scarlet lipstick and he remembers her perfectly - the poor girl had tripped on her way out of the limo, her sparkling navy blue gown too long for her. She’d been so embarrassed that she’d forgotten to tell him her name, so Niall was looking forward to the chance to ask her now. “Hey,” he says as they leave the room, finding a cozy spot next to the fireplace in the lounge.

“Sorry about earlier. I can’t believe I tripped,” she says, embarrassed, cheeks reddening just at the memory. She messes with her dress a little, pulling it this way and that, until she’s satisfied with how it looks. “Usually the dresses I wear are shorter than this because I _know_ I trip, but they put us all in long gowns today,” she explains. “I’m also just sort of clumsy and awkward.”

Niall’s smiling, and he rubs her back as he says, “It’s really alright. Promise. I remembered you because of it.” That puts a smile on her face, and Niall says, “The only thing I would’ve changed was having you tell me your name.” He’s smiling at her, warm and kind, hoping she doesn’t get offended at the slight joke he’s making.

“Oh my god,” she says, eyes going wide as she realizes. “That - wow, that’s even worse.” She laughs, albeit a bit self-deprecatingly, and says, “I’m Taylor. I’m from New York.”

That’s a long way for a person to travel just to try to marry him, Niall thinks. “What brings you all the way out here?” he asks.

“I’m interning for a music promotion company,” she explains. “I’d like to run awards shows, eventually.”

Niall nods. “Wow, that’s really interesting,” he says, looking impressed. “I didn’t know that was a thing." He pushes his glasses up his nose and smiles at Taylor, shrugging as he adds, "I guess it makes sense, I mean. I just hadn’t considered it.”

“Yeah. I tried to have a singing career but one country album later and I was done,” she says. “It wasn’t really for me. I hated the criticism and I wasn’t allowed to switch to pop music, and it was really a lot more hassle than it was worth. So I went to college and now I’m interning in London and it’s good. I like it a lot more.”

Niall smiles at her and says, “That’s good. Jobs are better when they’re ones you love.”

“Yeah,” she agrees. “What do you do?”

“I own a golf management company. Mostly we do stuff nobody sees, like behind the scenes things because we’re trying to establish ourselves and all that, but it’s good. My friend and I run it out of our flat in Ireland right now,” Niall explains.

Taylor looks impressed, and she smiles and says, “Good for you. Sounds like you enjoy it.”

“I do, yeah,” Niall agrees. He’s opening his mouth to ask a question, but before he can ask, someone’s interrupting them.

“Hey Niall, can I steal you?”

Beautiful, gorgeous Barbara steals him away, and Taylor gives him a hug before she leaves. Barbara has a seat where Taylor just was and introduces herself a little bit more. She explains that she’s from Budapest, that she’s a model in Europe right now, mainly London, and tells him a little bit about her family. Niall’s attentive, and he can’t stop staring because she’s such a _bombshell_ , but they’re interrupted fairly quickly by somebody else.

Barbara is so full of grace when she stands up and gives Niall a kiss on the cheek and a hug as her goodbye, not even looking the slightest bit annoyed that they were interrupted so soon. The tall lanky man from earlier, Nick, has joined Niall now, and he sits down rather close to him on the sofa in the lounge.

“Having a good night so far?” Niall asks politely, sipping at his drink.

Nick nods and adjusts his quiff just so. “Yeah, I am. Wanted to come say hello again, see if you were getting stressed yet,” Nick says with a chuckle.

“No, not yet,” Niall laughs.

“Yeah, that’ll come soon enough,” Nick nods. He shrugs and confesses, “Used to watch the show a lot before my friends convinced me to just apply and see what happens. I’m pretty much an expert on how this show works.”

Niall smiles at Nick, appreciates how kind and honest he’s being, and says, “I watched last season and that was it. Looks like a lot of stress to deal with. But it’ll be worth it, I think. There’ve been some massively successful marriages to come out of this.”

“I hope yours is one of them,” Nick says earnestly, staying vague just in case, because while he wants it to be him, the man who gets to marry handsome, sexy, bespectacled Niall Horan, he very well may not be. 

The sentiment causes Niall to blush, and he looks down as he smiles and says, “Thanks. I hope so too.” 

When he looks up again, their eyes meet, and Niall feels like he should say something meaningful, or something romantic. Nick’s got such gorgeous eyes, with his long lashes and the little flecks of brown in his eyes that seem to sparkle with just the right lighting. It steals his breath away, and Nick just smiles back, studying Niall in return.

They’re interrupted by the host of the show, telling them it’s time to go back to the sitting room, that it’s time for the first rose ceremony of the season.

Niall didn’t see Louis throughout the entire cocktail party, though he wanted to, and wonders why that is. Niall’s being ushered by the crew into the big sitting room, near the fireplace where they’ve got the contestants lined up, the twelve men on one side and the twelve women on the other. Louis is waiting in the doorway, rose still in hand, and he stops Niall for a moment, the cameras switched off, missing the private moment.

“Wanted you to know I hadn’t forgotten about you,” Louis says softly, noticing the confusion on Niall’s face at his sudden appearance. “I just – I figured you’d remember me the most tonight, even if I tried to come and make conversation. Besides, I have a rose. They all need to fight for the rest of them.”

Niall raises an eyebrow.

“I’ll steal you next time, alright?” Louis promises, his face tender and warm, and Niall nods. He’d like that very much. “You can't get rid of me that easily.”

Louis winks and grins as he turns to go stand with the rest. On his way out he says, “Break some hearts, love.”

And Niall knows he’s going to, knows he’s got to send four of them home already, right here on this first night.

There are a few girls he says goodbye to right away – three of them – and they all cry, and Niall feels guilty for not even being able to remember their names. The bloke, some guy named Ashton, brushes it off like it’s no big deal.

Good riddance, Niall supposes. He didn’t seem all that invested in this to begin with.

He wonders if maybe he’s just not the guy’s type.

Niall gets to go up to his rooms then, but the night’s not over yet. It’s nearly dawn, the sunrise peeking over the horizon, but there’s a member of production in his room, asking who he’d like to do the dates with next week. They’ve got what’s called a ‘dark day’ tomorrow - time to catch up on sleep, when the cameras are off, when Niall can call back home if he wants to as long as he lets someone from the crew listen in. He’s got to keep some of it a mystery for when he goes back to visit.

Ultimately, the decisions on the dates are up to the writers, but Niall nominates a few people that he’d like to have one on one time with, and the rest is out of his hands. Once they leave his room - after the sun is above the horizon - Niall finally gets to change into some trackies and a vest and climb into bed. He’s asleep before his head hits the pillow.

He’s got to enjoy the nights when he can sleep before it’s too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**Next Week on The Bachelor** _
> 
> Niall likes seeing him laugh, thinks it’s quite endearing the way the corners of his eyes crinkle and his smile crosses his whole face. “I don’t think you’re insecure,” Niall offers. “I think this process is stressful and worrisome and I’m just really glad you came to talk to me about it rather than bottling it up. You can always do that, okay?”
> 
> Liam looks relieved and so, so happy, and he takes Niall’s hand in his. “Thanks. That really means a lot to me,” Liam says.
> 
> **
> 
> Niall takes a deep breath, focuses on the camera and says, “I mean, I know how I’m feeling about both of them, and I could follow my heart, but it’s the opposite of what my head’s telling me to do right now.
> 
> **
> 
> “Hey, stop a minute,” Niall says, pausing in the centre of a stone path, back near the fountain where he’d started at with Harry.
> 
> Louis turns and faces Niall, and he’s quiet, confused, as Niall takes hold of his other hand as well. “No need to be so worried and defensive alright?” Niall says, voice tender and soft, for only the two of them. “I’m really into you.”
> 
> Niall can feel Louis’ eyes taking him in, reading his every action, every emotion in his eyes. Slowly their hands part and Niall’s fingertips dance over Louis’s hips instead, pulling him closer. “You can trust me, alright?” he whispers.
> 
> Louis swallows hard. He’s not so sure. As his eyes search Niall’s, Louis finds himself saying, “Just don’t want to be hurt again.”


	2. Week Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **NOTE:** I'm no expert on the show. I'm taking creative liberties with this (duh) not only because there are males AND females trying to date and marry Niall, but because I'm making up one on ones, two on ones, the elimination patterns, etc. to sort of suit my needs. Hopefully it still works for you!

It’s day three of the process and after catching up on sleep from a long first night of filming, the rest of the contestants are gathered in the sitting room to read through the first date card. Everybody but Harry and Laura are on it, meaning they’ve got probably the biggest group date anyone’s ever been on whilst Harry and Laura get to sit around and wonder all day what’s going on.

Niall takes a whole eighteen people on one date with him to the golf course near the Eastwell Manor’s grounds. Golf is a huge part of his life – he owns a golf management company and he very often gets complimentary games of golf out on the course that he’d like to take his future husband or wife to one day.

They set up with some instructors for lessons, teaching the not-so-athletic people how to hold the clubs, how to swing, and all that. Of course Niall ends up helping a few of them, standing behind Louis to try to get him to hold the club right, or easing his hand gently down Taylor’s arm to get her to lose the awkward tension in her tall, thin body.

Hardly anybody can actually hit the ball right, but when Niall spots a few who do, he makes a mental note of it. Bressie’s a great golfer, and after a short conversation Niall learns that he’s even got a favourite course in Ireland, not far from Niall’s hometown of Mullingar. Where incidentally Bressie is from and they’d just never crossed paths. The world can be a small place sometimes.

A lad named Greg James surprises everyone with how easily he catches on to the game of golf, as well, and Niall definitely makes note of how focused Liam is, how badly Liam wants to learn the game and show Niall he can do this.

He wanders through the group all afternoon, giving tips to people as they work on their swing and showing off occasionally when they ask him to take a shot. After hours of golfing and people being pulled aside to do interviews, it’s time to get ready for their dinner and group date cocktail party where Niall will hand out a rose to one lucky person.

Dinner and the cocktail party at a nearby hotel are actually rather uneventful, considering there are eighteen people currently trying to capture and keep Niall’s attention. He’s stolen away by a few - Greg James, who does radio and is clearly good at it, given all the questions he asks and attention he pays to each word coming out of Niall’s mouth - and Ellie Goulding, who spends most of their conversation apologizing for her terrible golf skills.

Liam asks just before the rose ceremony if he can chat with Niall, and as he’s supposed to, but really badly wants to anyway, Niall says yes. They go out to an empty bench by the pool, and hold hands as they walk there. Liam seems nervous, or something about him in tense and off, and Niall would really like to know what it is. “Alright?” Niall asks as they sit down.

Liam sits, turned towards Niall so their knees are bumping, and he looks up at him with deep, warm brown eyes filled with emotion and slight worry. “Yeah, I just - I wanted to talk to you about today. I feel like I made a total fool of myself out on the golf course,” he says.

Niall laughs softly and reaches over for Liam’s hand. “You’re all so worried about that. It’s really not a big deal,” Niall reassures him. “It was just to see how you could handle learning something new. Took me years to even get decent at playing golf.”

“I just got so frustrated at the end, like,” Liam begins, pausing as he tries to choose his words. “I was just pissed by the end of it because I couldn’t hit the ball. I’m sorry about that.”

Eyebrows raised, Niall says, “I didn’t even see that, honestly Liam. And like, I’ve done that too. Gotten really pissed after a bad game, I mean. It’s no big deal.”

Liam looks so, so worried and Niall thinks it’s endearing, how badly Liam wants to impress, to be the best, to do everything he thinks Niall wants in a partner. “Listen, Liam. It wasn’t about how good you were at the game. It was about whether you tried. And mostly it was about having fun. We had a good talk out there, remember? You were telling me that you’re a firefighter and asking me about what I do, and that’s what’s gonna stick with me from this date with you.” He looks into Liam’s eyes meaningfully, and hopes he understands what he’s trying to say. “Golf skills aren’t going to matter at all when I’m giving out that rose tonight. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Slowly the relaxation creeps back into Liam’s bones and Niall sees it, watches him calm down, watches as Liam accepts that he did his best and Niall only remembers the good, and that it’s going to be alright. “God, you must think I’m the most insecure person,” Liam laughs.

Niall likes seeing him laugh, thinks it’s quite endearing the way the corners of his eyes crinkle and his smile crosses his whole face. “I don’t think you’re insecure,” Niall offers. “I think this process is stressful and worrisome and I’m just really glad you came to talk to me about it rather than bottling it up. You can always do that, okay?”

Liam looks relieved and so, so happy, and he takes Niall’s hand in his. “Thanks. That really means a lot to me,” Liam says.

Niall feels it, too, hears how genuine Liam is just through the warmth of his voice and how earnestly he’s looking at him in the moonlight. They just sit there for a moment, listening to the soft waves of the water in the pool before Niall leans in. He’s slow, hesitant, like he’s trying to make sure this is what Liam wants even though it _clearly_ is, and ever so gently he puts his lips to Liam’s in a kiss. It’s too short for Liam’s liking, but time is short, and he smiles at Niall as they break away a few seconds later. “Thanks for everything,” Liam whispers. “You’re a really great guy.”

Now it’s Niall’s turn to smile so bright his eyes crinkle, and they share one last peck on the lips before standing up and returning to where everyone’s seated by a bonfire out on the terrace. It’s time for Niall to hand out the group date rose. He stands in front of them, noticing all the slightly nervous faces looking back at them, and he can’t imagine how this is going to feel later on in the process, when this part is already difficult enough.

“First of all, I want to thank you all for being such good sports about golfing today. I know for most of you it was the first time you’ve ever golfed. I appreciate all of you who kept a good attitude throughout the day, even when you were really discouraged. That meant a lot to me,” Niall says. There were a few girls who threw major attitude when they thought he wasn’t looking, though they haven’t made effort at all throughout the process. He doesn’t even know their names. They look up at him so innocently, like they don’t even realize he knows.

“But tonight I can only give out one rose, and this rose goes to somebody who I can tell is an incredibly dedicated individual. They keep their chin up and they have a big heart and I’m just so, so excited to keep getting to know them. So,” Niall pauses and takes a deep breath. He reaches out across the table and picks up the rose, twirling it between his fingers for a moment. When he looks up, his eyes find Liam and he asks, “Liam, will you accept this rose?”

Liam smiles again like he did before, eyes crinkled and bright, and Niall feels his own heart skip a beat at knowing he put that smile there, that he was the cause of such joy. Liam says yes and he stands to meet Niall so Niall can give the rose to him and give him a big hug. Some of the others look upset, but a few appear to be unsurprised. Liam whispers a thank you into Niall’s shoulder and Niall’s only response is smiling back at him as the hug ends.

He stands in front of everyone again and thanks them for coming, and with that, the date is over. He goes back to his suite while everyone else waits around to do more interviews, until finally the night is over.

And then, in a twist that not even Niall knew about, he’s going on a two on one with Harry and Laura.

Everyone had assumed they’d each get a one on one, including Niall, but the producers like a bit of drama. The dates were so early in the process that Niall assumed they wouldn’t dare do a two on one, but it’s not going to work out that way. So now Niall’s got to take the two of them on a date, and he can only bring one back to the manor with him. The other’s got to go home.

It’s hard for Niall to choose, because the date goes so well. First he takes Harry out while Laura sits back on the beach, sipping wine on the picnic basket, the rose sitting out on a plate taunting her. He and Harry walk along the water’s edge in their bare feet, Harry towering a few inches over Niall, wisps of hair blowing in the wind where they’ve escaped from the bun atop his head. “So what is it you do, Harry?” Niall asks as their hands swing between them, fingers clasped lazily. The entire moment is so relaxed, so comfortable. Niall loves it.

“I’m a baker,” Harry says with a coy smile. Niall looks over and notices Harry’s dimples. He looks much younger when he smiles so brightly, but he’s lovely. So, so lovely. “I work at the same bakery I did when I was a teenager, only I went to culinary school inbetween, so I get to do more now than I did before,” he explains. “I really love it. If I had my way, I’d never leave.”

Niall thinks that could be complicated one day, Harry loving his job so much he doesn’t want to leave, but he tries not to overthink it so early in the process. “So your specialty is sweets then?” Niall asks. “Tarts?” He smirks.

Harry laughs, but nods, and he tells Niall, “Yeah. I specialized in baking rather than cooking. I love trying new desserts.”

“Should’ve been on Bake-Off, not The Bachelor,” Niall teases.

With a snort, Harry admits, “I tried. It’s for amateur bakers. I’m a professional.”

“So getting married it is,” Niall smiles.

Harry nods and looks over at Niall, studying him for a moment before he says, “Felt like it was time. Living alone is boring and god, I miss dating. I know everyone in Cheshire, it feels like. There’s nobody new to meet or to date.”

It’s sweet, the way Harry knows everybody, the reasons he has for coming on the show. Niall smiles at him and says, “I understand that. Mullingar is tiny.”

“Is that where you want to stay?” Harry wonders.

Niall hasn’t really thought about it. The ending of the show, at least in seasons past, has been that the winner moves in with the Bachelor in his hometown. “I guess I’d like to be in Ireland,” Niall confesses. “But I can manage my company from anywhere.”

It’s too early in the process for Harry to be worrying about logistics of potentially winning, and he knows it, but he can’t help but store that information away in the back of his mind. He really adores his job, and he’s not so sure he can find a place so warm, so kind, so willing to let him try the silliest of recipes, anywhere else in the world. He really only gets away with it because his boss, Barbara, adores him so much. Even his culinary instructors thought he was a bit too eccentric with his baking.

Harry smiles though, and notices the way Niall’s studying him, trying to understand him. To confuse him and break the serious tension that has settled over them, Harry grins cheekily and leans in to steal a kiss. It surprises Niall, but the surprise is short-lived as it’s followed by a smile. “You big flirt,” Niall laughs.

They talk a bit more as they return to the picnic blanket, mostly about their families and how Harry’s still trying to get used to the idea that Niall’s dating his sister, too. He’s used to being able to disapprove of boyfriends by default, because he thinks his sister is always going to deserve more than what she’s got, but Niall complicates that. He can’t disapprove because then he’d look like a hypocrite.

He gives Niall the shovel talk all the same, and asks that if Niall ever has to break her heart, he do it gently. Even though he’s younger, Harry feels the need to protect his sister as though he were the older sibling.

But then Niall goes out on a pedal boat with Laura whilst Harry waits back on land, sipping his own drink and trying not to stare at the rose too much. Niall and Laura talk about Ireland, where they grew up, what their families are like. She asks him about school a lot, and about his job, and Niall answers. The conversation is great - he just can’t get out of his head that she’s eight years older than him, and that most of the stuff she asks him, he’s been asked by his mum’s friends.

They share a kiss when they make it back to the beach, and she’s smiling and warm and so, so kind to him, and they even hold hands as they walk back to the blanket. All in all, Niall has a really great time out with Laura as well as out with Harry, and it’s a difficult decision. Before he can really sit down and think about who to give the rose to, Niall’s being pulled away for an interview, totally private from the two people waiting for him back on the beach.

One of the people behind the camera asks him how he feels about Harry and Laura, and what he’s taking into consideration when trying to sort out who gets the rose. “I mean, Harry’s great. He’s really funny, but in an unintentional way. Whenever he tries I think it sort of falls flat, but I laugh anyway. He’s trying, and it’s really cute. And Laura’s so brilliant, and she’s living in Ireland which is a plus,” he says and shrugs. Niall takes a deep breath, focuses on the camera and says, “I mean, I know how I’m feeling about both of them, and I could follow my heart, but it’s the opposite of what my head’s telling me to do right now.

“The thing is, I talked to them both about where they’re from and what they do, and Harry seems really tied down to where he lives. So does Laura. Only difference is, one of them’s tied town in Ireland and the other’s sort-of tied down in England. That complicates things.” Niall looks unsure of himself, and he pauses before he says, “It’s so early on and it’s so hard already. Dunno how I’m gonna keep narrowing it down like this.”

Niall tries to mull it over in his head when he returns to the blanket, offers them both food from the picnic basket that he’d made himself the day before - grilled chicken sandwiches, a delicious salad - it’s all there, and they eat pleasantly, the three of them. Niall can clearly tell that both of these people are very interested in him, and he appreciates that there’s no hostility.

It’s the rules, though, that he send one home and keep the other, and Niall tries not to get too down on himself when he sends Laura packing, offering the rose to Harry who looked guilty accepting it. He’d noticed something there with Laura, too.

What Niall felt for her, though, bordered on familial rather than romantic. She was older than him, and the way she treated him made it feel almost like a mum taking care of her child. Niall knew they could swerve away from that, avoid letting the relationship fall into that territory, but the risk would always be there. In the end, that mattered more than where they were currently living and hoped to remain living.

And Harry – he’s rather charming, and Niall has been thinking about him since the very first night they’d met.

At the end of the evening, Niall drops Harry back at the door to the manor, holding his hand the whole way to the front door. “Thanks for a lovely time,” Harry says warmly.

Niall nods, has to look up just the slightest to meet Harry’s sparkling green eyes, and he smiles back. “Of course,” he replies. “Thank you for coming.”

Harry laughs at that, because dating is what this whole process is, but Niall’s being a gentleman and it’s endearing, how much he wants to do right, regardless of the circumstances. “Have a good night. See you at the cocktail party tomorrow,” Niall says.

Ever so gently, Harry nods and leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to the very corner of Niall’s mouth, stealing Niall’s breath away. It’s not a move he’d been expecting, but it’s sweet and chaste and leaves Niall reeling on the front step of the house, because even though their lips hadn’t met, it was wonderful. It was a promise of what’s to come mixed with hints of progress.

Already the two of them are making strides to something bigger and better.

*

It's a big deal, walking into the next cocktail party. There are nineteen people left, and at the end of the night there will only be fifteen. Niall’s got to try to talk to everybody, make sense of his feelings, and try to work out who he's got a connection with. He worries all morning about whether he's going to send the wrong person home, if maybe he already has and he'll never know it.

Everyone is dressed to the nines just like on the night they met, and Niall greets them all after production has made sure they've each got a drink in hand. He's got a pint that he's sipped on to calm his nerves, and he stands before them all with a big smile and sparkling eyes. “Hey everybody. Good to see you all,” he says. “As you all know, at the end of this cocktail party will be another rose ceremony. Until then, let's just enjoy the night.” He holds up his drink and says, “Cheers.”

Everyone toasts with him, and before he knows it, he's being whisked away. Harry charms everyone into being at least semi-alright with him grabbing Niall first. The only person who doesn't look thrilled is Harry's sister Gemma, another person vying for Niall's heart.

Niall hasn't decided how he feels about that yet, dating siblings.

Harry is a total gentleman, taking Niall's hand as they leave the sitting room, and they walk into the comforting blanket of darkness covering the garden. Their fingers linger together between them as they walk, nursing their drinks until they're out of earshot from the rest. “You look really handsome tonight,” Niall says as they spot the fountain and sit down on the ledge.

Harry flushes and smiles bright, his long hair falling in curls over his shoulders, blowing gently in the breeze. “So do you,” Harry says, his hand finding Niall's thigh and resting there. “I miss your glasses though.”

Niall chuckles. “Do you? I usually wear contacts but when I was getting ready for filming that first night I just couldn't do it. I was nervous and standing outside made my eyes dry, and like…”

“You were nervous?” Harry asks. He's got the fondest smile on his face and it makes Niall's heart skip a beat. “You looked so sure of yourself.”

“God I was bricking it,” Niall laughs, nodding.

Harry rubs his thumb over Niall's thigh and just as Niall opens his mouth to say something else, and after a short walk and an even shorter conversation, they're being interrupted.

“Terribly sorry to cut in, but I believe dear Harry here already has a rose. Niall, can I steal you?”

It's Nick, looking as tall and handsome as ever, and Harry has the kindness to not even look annoyed as Nick cuts in and steals Niall. Harry gives Niall another one of those wonderful kisses at the corner of his mouth before leaving Nick and Niall alone together.

“Can we walk?” Nick asks, and Niall nods yes.

There’s a gazebo on the grounds, and Nick seems to be leading Niall towards it as they hold hands and walk through the gardens, drinks in hand. “Did you have a good time this week?” Niall asks. He wants to be the perfect gentleman - he wants to impress Nick.

“I did, yeah. I’m a total knobhead when it comes to sport though, so I probably looked awful out there on the course,” he says, laughing it off.

Niall waves their hands between them where they’re linked, and he laughs as he looks down at the ground and says, “No, no, you were fine.” He looks up at Nick - bloody hell he’s tall - and smiles earnestly. “You tried, and that’s all I wanted.”

Nick rolls his eyes and keeps it light-hearted as he says, “I was rubbish, but you were really sweet about not laughing at me too terribly.”

That causes Niall to snort with laughter and in the middle of the walkway he stops and curls up against Nick, laughing so hard he’s nearly doubling over. “You’re so worried about this golf thing. It’s cute,” Niall says through his chuckles.

“Hey now!” Nick protests, wrapping his free arm around Niall’s shoulders as Niall laughs against him. “I’m not that funny.”

“Sorry,” Niall says, trying to stifle it. He looks up at Nick and says, “Don’t be so hard on yourself alright? As long as you tried and had fun, I’m happy.”

“Well I certainly tried,” Nick teases.

Niall pretends to look affronted. “Come on, we’re nearly there,” Nick says, tugging at Niall’s hand. “These grounds are huge. I’m going to stay in shape just taking you out here each cocktail party.”

That draws Niall’s gaze back to him again, and Niall asks, “Each cocktail party?”

He’s teasing too, he’s got a look of hilarity on his face and Nick just knows it’s all a joke, that Niall’s not going to send him home, not yet. Niall waits a beat before he says, “I hope you do. It’s a nice private spot.”

“Our spot,” Nick smiles.

The moment softens, becomes more tender, and Niall nods his agreement. “Our spot,” he echoes happily.

As they reach the gazebo, they walk up the stairs and take a seat on the bench. Nick’s got an arm around Niall’s shoulders right away and it’s warm and comfortable and Niall likes how easy it is for the two of them to sit down together. They do it with the practiced ease of a married couple and that makes his heart beat a little faster, the thought of what could be.

“So how are you?” Nick asks.

Niall smiles, confused, and asks, “What? I should be asking _you_ that.”

Nick holds Niall round his shoulders a little tighter and says, “Your feelings matter just as much.” He looks into Niall’s sparkling blue eyes and repeats, his voice softer this time, “So how are you?”

“I’m great,” Niall nods. “Really great.” There’s something else, though. Niall can’t hide it and Nick knows there’s something there so he’s quiet, thumb rubbing over Niall’s shoulder. Niall swallows and says, “It’s all a bit confusing if you ask me. I hate hurting people but I know it’s a whole… process.”

Nodding, Nick reaches up to card his fingers through Niall’s hair instead, and he says, “It’s confusing for us, too. I understand.”

Niall looks up at Nick and says, “If it helps, I think you’re really great. Really sweet, and you make me laugh, which I like, and…”

“So I’ve won then?” Nick asks jokingly.

That makes Niall laugh, doubling over again. “I dunno, it’s a bit early for that, but you’ve got a good track record so far,” Niall replies.

“Hmm, I dunno, I haven’t even gotten a kiss. What am I supposed to think?” Nick teases.

And Christ, Niall’s not used to so many people flirting with him at once, but he can’t help but give in, turning his head to face Nick. “C’mere then,” he says, and leans in, bumping his nose against Nick’s.

“Pushy,” Nick laughs.

Niall closes the gap between them, kissing Nick softly, a little hesitantly almost, until Nick presses back. It steals Niall’s breath, how gentle and romantic Nick can be. He leans into it, hand dropping to Nick’s thigh, and a smile drifts across his lips as Nick holds him tighter around his shoulders. “Hmm,” Nick whispers against Niall’s mouth. “Think this means you might like me?”

Niall chuckles, pressing his forehead to Nick’s. “Maybe just a little.”

“Brilliant.”

They hear footsteps on the pavement and slowly Nick pulls away. “Looks like I’m being interrupted,” he whispers, standing up and adjusting his suit coat.

Niall stands as well, giving Nick’s hand a squeeze, and he says, “It’s been lovely.”

“Yes, it has,” Nick agrees.

“See you soon,” Niall says to him, and they leave the gazebo together to let the person approaching steal him.

It’s Louis, and he looks much calmer and more serene than the first night they met. “Told you I’d steal you away,” he says.

“You did,” Niall agrees, Nick out of earshot. “Have a good time at the course today?”

Louis shrugs. “It was alright. I’ve got to be honest, I much prefer football. But golfing with you was fun,” he says.

Niall chuckles. “An honest man. I like it.”

“No use lying or telling you what I think you want to hear,” Louis admits. “I’d rather just be upfront.”

And well, Niall hadn’t thought about how people might do that, tell him just what he wants to hear rather than what they’re actually thinking. He’s got to remember that, to put his guard up a little bit more. Niall is thankful for Louis’s honesty though, and reaches out to take his hand. They start walking through the gardens and back toward the manor as Niall says, “Thanks. I appreciate the honesty. I don’t expect everyone to like golfing. That’d be a bit mad.”

“But you want someone to bring to the course,” Louis reminds him.

“If you think the only thing I’m searching for in a spouse is someone who loves golf, I might need to give you a smack in the head,” Niall laughs. “I’m looking for a lot more. Couldn’t really care, in the end, whether you like the sport or not.”

Louis rolls his eyes and looks a bit closed off, a bit nervous, and Niall gets it. He does. He wishes Louis trusted him as much as he knows he’s worthy of being trusted, but Niall has to earn that. He has to show Louis that he can be that person for him.

“Hey, stop a minute,” Niall says, pausing in the centre of a stone path, back near the fountain where he’d started at with Harry.

Louis turns and faces Niall, and he’s quiet, confused, as Niall takes hold of his other hand as well. “No need to be so worried and defensive alright?” Niall says, voice tender and soft, for only the two of them. “I’m really into you.”

Niall can feel Louis’ eyes taking him in, reading his every action, every emotion in his eyes. Slowly their hands part and Niall’s fingertips dance over Louis’s hips instead, pulling him closer. “You can trust me, alright?” he whispers.

Louis swallows hard. He’s not so sure. As his eyes search Niall’s, Louis finds himself saying, “Just don’t want to be hurt again.”

It makes Niall’s heart ache, hearing that Louis is like this, so guarded and protective of himself, because somebody else didn’t treat him right. He takes a deep breath and slides one hand to rest at the small of Louis’s back. “I know,” Niall nods. “I’ll do my very best not to hurt you.”

He knows there’s a chance of it, that in this process he’s going to be saying goodbye to a lot of people, but Louis has something about him that makes him feel rather permanent, like Niall may not ever be able to shake him, even if he ends up with somebody else. He dips in for a kiss, surprising Louis if the soft sound that escapes Louis’ mouth is anything to judge by. And then Louis’ wrapping his arms around Niall’s shoulders and responding to the kiss very gently, oh so sweetly, until they can’t breathe.

Louis leans his forehead to Niall’s and they stand there embracing as they catch their breath. “We should go back,” Niall mutters, drifting a hand up and down Louis’s back.

“Do we have to?” Louis whines.

Niall smiles at that, and leans away to look into Louis’ eyes. “If I had my way, no. But -- yes, Lou. Tonight we do,” Niall says.

Louis nods and doesn’t fight it, and they walk back slowly, hands connected between them again. On the walk back Louis opens up a little, tells Niall that he’s a primary school teacher and loves what he does, and it’s nice. To Niall, it feels like Louis is starting to open up already. He’s sharing things about himself so freely, and telling Niall exactly how he feels, what his hopes are for the future, and it feels like a big deal.

Throughout the rest of his little one on one moments that evening, Niall keeps thinking back to Louis, and to Nick, and to the people he’s already started forming really strong connections with.

Gemma whisks him away, mostly to tell him that she’s completely different from her brother Harry and has her own dreams and ambitions (and a much higher degree). She’s just finishing up medical school and hopes to get a residency somewhere really good, but won’t know for another few months. She’s got a dry wit and makes Niall laugh, and they have a good time.

But then Demi interrupts, the girl he’s heard most of the others whispering about because according to them, she doesn’t look to be his type at all. She’s got the side of her head buzzed and lots of tattoos, but the more Niall talks to her, the more he realizes she’s much different than he’d expected. She’s sweet and kind and gentle, so unlike the harsh exterior she presents to everybody. 

After a long talk about their love for music and shared interest in the same musicians, Selena cuts in and steals him, and they barely talk at all because they end up making out for most of the time, until Eoghan boisterously walks in shouting, “Ew! PDA! Stop it!”

Selena and Niall both laugh, even though it’s not exactly the most polite method of interrupting, and Eoghan gets his time with Niall. They get to know each other, talk about where they grew up - Niall appreciates that Eoghan is from Ireland, too. He’s from Limerick, which is a decent drive away from Mullingar, but they both love Northern Ireland as a vacation spot, the high hills and the gorgeous cliffs, and of course going to see a match or two in Belfast. Eoghan does radio segments about sports, so he pulls strings every once in a while to get complimentary tickets. He promises Niall a match if they make it through to the end.

They hold hands, and it’s nice, though it feels different. Niall can’t figure out the type of different though - it leaves him wondering, leaves him dwelling on what exactly it is that he feels for Eoghan.

It’s then, though, that production steps in again, an assistant ushering Niall away for a touching up of his makeup whilst they line all the contestants back up in the sitting room. It’s time for the rose ceremony, and he’s got to talk it over with one of the writers.

They want him to keep a few people he hasn’t spoken to, either because of potential chemistry or because of potential drama. Niall agrees, but only if he can keep all of his favourites.

After they’ve sorted it all out, he’s allowed to go into the room where everyone is waiting nervously. For only the second rose ceremony, it’s incredibly difficult already. They all look so worried, so tense, and all just for a chance to marry him.

Niall’s heart is thrumming in his chest, his pulse echoing in his ears, and he has to take a breath before he says each name and gives them a rose and a hug when they accept.

Bressie… Louis… Nick… Demi... 

The ones with roses are filled with so much relief, and Niall couldn’t imagine being in their shoes, having to go through this week after week. He’d do it, if he truly loved someone, but he thinks it may not always be so easy. There’s definitely room for doubt.

Eoghan… Jade… Gemma… Taylor…

Niall realizes with guilt as he looks out at the ten people who’ve already got roses - the eight names he’s called plus Harry and Liam - that he’s spent so much time with them, in comparison to the others. Some of the people standing there waiting for roses haven’t said anything past a brief introduction on that first night. Niall doesn’t even know the names of all of them.

Selena… Greg… Ellie… Barbara…

There’s only one named left to call, and there are a whole five people standing before him without roses. Niall feels like he’s got something in his throat, and his mouth is dry, and he knows that some people are going to be very, very disappointed in what he says next. But it’s what the writers want him to do, and quite honestly, he _wants_ to talk to this person more, to get to know them, so Niall hesitates no longer.

“Zayn.”

The man looks surprised, his eyes widening as he looks up at Niall, at the one final rose of the night, knowing it’s all for him.

Zayn starts to walk toward him, adjusting the rolled-up sleeves on his white button-down, showing off his plethora of tattoos up and down his arms. He stands in front of Niall looking surprised, still, and Niall holds out the rose as he asks, “Will you accept this rose?”

“Of course,” Zayn nods.

Niall smiles at him and goes in for a hug, and it’s a little weird because they’re basically perfect strangers, but Niall feels something there, like it could actually be the start of something real, if they both tried hard enough.

In a burst of bravery, Niall turns to the side and presses a soft kiss to Zayn’s cheek as he’s pulling away. Zayn smiles at him, takes the rose, and then walks back to his place among the rest. Everyone is saying goodbye to the four that Niall didn’t choose, and a couple of the eliminated people come over for a hug, but most just leave. They don’t want to talk to Niall, not after he’s just dumped them on national television.

When there’s just Niall and the fifteen people he’s still dating left in the room, they each grab their drink and hold them up. “Cheers to all of you. For opening up to me and starting this process out really great,” he says. “We’re gonna have a good week next week, so get some rest, alright?”

They get the weekend off to catch up with their families, to lounge around without too much drama, and Niall’s looking forward to it. He’s going to have his mum in town to visit him and chat with him about all of this, about what he’s feeling, and he needs some help planning a date, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **  
> _Next Week on The Bachelor_  
>  **
> 
> “I just want to spend this whole day with you and to try to figure you out and learn about you,” Niall says. “If you want out - I mean, all you’ve got to do is speak up. This process isn’t just about me.”
> 
> Niall doesn’t want to feel that harsh rejection, of somebody deciding that sticking around for him, of going through this process, isn’t worth it. But he wants them to know that there’s nothing being forced upon him here. If he doesn’t feel a connection or any chemistry, he shouldn’t have to stick around.
> 
> **
> 
> “I don’t just want things to be physical,” he says softly, rubbing his thumb over the back of Selena’s hand. “I want to get to know _you_.”
> 
> She looks down at her lap, unsure. “This is all I’ve ever really known,” she admits. “This is how guys have wanted me to act, in the past.” Selena’s got one leg over the other, and she’s kicking her foot nervously, the heel of the stiletto bumping his calf every once in a while. She’s leaned in towards him and obviously cold in her short, sparkling dress. Niall shrugs off his jacket and puts it around her shoulders, taking care to be gentle, to make sure she knows he wants to help her deal with this, not chuck her aside because of it.
> 
> **
> 
> Demi’s performance strikes a fire in the others though, and one by one they all go through and sing a song. Some of them have voices that are soft and high, like Selena and Ellie, and others have a bit of a raspy quality to them, like Harry and Bressie. Louis tries his very hardest but stumbles over the lyrics a bit after his voice cracks just the slightest. He’s clearly very good at singing, but too worried about doing it in front of a crowd to really do his best. When he leaves the stage, he won’t even look Niall in the eyes.
> 
> **
> 
> “Do you really realize it, though? That I’m so different from Harry?” Gemma asks, looking concerned.
> 
> She’s studying Niall, and sure, they’re holding hands, but the room feels ice cold and Niall swallows hard because he hadn’t realized that he was making her feel this way, like she’s just another version of Harry, only female and a bit shorter. He looks into her eyes and tries so, so hard to find words. “I know you are,” Niall says finally, his voice tight and shaking just a little from nerves. “I’m just meeting both of you. Sometimes it’s - there are _so_ many people here and I’m just trying to get to know all of you. I’ve had more time with Harry so far.”
> 
> “That shouldn’t matter.”
> 
> **
> 
> “I don’t even know why I’m here. He’s clearly into everyone else more than he is me,” Louis shouts at Liam, who’s trying desperately to keep Louis from leaving the room, from walking out the door and making a decision he knows he’ll regret.
> 
> “Just stay, give it another week,” Liam begs. “Just talk to him and tell him how you’re feeling. I’m sure he’ll understand.”
> 
> Louis looks worried, exhausted, and so stressed out. He’s got bags under his eyes and his hair’s a bit of a mess, and he’s had more liquor than he should have, considering the circumstances. “I don’t know if I can handle another week of this,” he says, feeling defeated.


	3. Week Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your enthusiasm and support on this fic so far! I promise I won't abandon it before you find out who wins!

Niall asks this time, before sending out date cards, whether he’s got to do a two on one for week three. He’s only got to eliminate three people this time, rather than five, but it’s still going to be difficult. Besides, there are a few people he’s itching to take out on a one on one, people he wants to get to know better, but hasn’t had the chance to yet.

The first one on one happens on a Monday - not the most conventional day for a date - but he thinks the date is going to go well anyway thanks to some planning done by the writers. The card gets brought downstairs in the early hours, when everyone is gathered together having breakfast. Niall’s eating his, delivered by room service because he _is_ the bachelor, after all, and waiting for it to be the right hour to go downstairs and fetch his date.

Everyone had been rather surprised by whose name was on the one on one card, mostly because at least half of them didn’t even know Zayn existed until he’d gotten the final rose the weekend before. But if Niall’s going to keep him around, even at the insistence of the writers and production team, he’s going to keep going with the process and take Zayn out on a one on one, to see what he’s all about.

He’s a lot like Demi in that he’s got dark hair, striking eyes, and an appearance that outwardly says _do not bother me_. He looks tough as nails and not at all like someone Niall would typically go on a date with, but Demi is a different person underneath all that and Niall thinks Zayn very well could be, too.

So Niall goes downstairs once breakfast is finished and the sun would be high in the sky, if it wasn’t raining outside. Zayn’s wearing a plain white shirt under a leather jacket, with tight black jeans and some black boots, and he looks incredibly handsome, albeit a bit standoffish. He smiles when he sees Niall though, and a few people cheer and clap for them as Niall asks, “Are you ready for our date?”

Zayn stands up and nods, and he looks rather pleased, all things considered. They’re followed to the doors by the rest of the group, who wants to see if they can figure out what’s going on, where the two of them are going on their date.

The car outside in the drive is just plain black, though, with tinted windows for a bit of privacy. “Nothing too flashy,” Niall says to Zayn, softly so only he can hear him. “Hope that’s alright?”

“It’s brilliant, yeah,” Zayn nods, and he seems pleased so far.

Niall gets the door for Zayn and then climbs into the car after him, leaving the rest behind as the car pulls out of the drive. Zayn’s watching Niall curiously and it takes a moment for Niall to notice. When he does, he asks, “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” Zayn nods, and he glances out the window before he says, “I’m just surprised you picked me, is all. I’m not exactly your type.”

Niall laughs, like full on _laughs_ , and that’s apparently not the reaction Zayn was expecting. He whips his head to look at Niall, an eyebrow raised. “I have a type?” Niall asks.

“Well, yeah. You do,” Zayn says simply. “You like the good people. The ones who look pure or have like, family values and all that.”

“You’re not good? You hate your family?”

Zayn stares for a moment. “Well, no, I mean, I guess I’m alright. I love my family. I just don’t _look_ like it.”

“Zayn -,” Niall begins, but pauses to choose his words. He takes a deep breath and then says, “You’re your own person. And like, I’m not here to compare people or only date people who look or act a certain way. You’re complex. I like that.”

Zayn looks unsure, and doesn’t say a word.

“I just want to spend this whole day with you and to try to figure you out and learn about you,” Niall says. “If you want out - I mean, all you’ve got to do is speak up. This process isn’t just about me.”

Niall doesn’t want to feel that harsh rejection, of somebody deciding that sticking around for him, of going through this process, isn’t worth it. But he wants Zayn to know that there’s nothing being forced upon him here. If he doesn’t feel a connection or any chemistry, he shouldn’t have to stick around.

Instead he just nods, the corners of his mouth turning up in the smallest of smiles, and Niall lets out the breath he’d been holding. “Just relax and enjoy today, alright? I really think you’ll like what I’ve got planned,” he says.

Zayn scoots a little closer to Niall in the back seat of the car, and he doesn’t say a word. Instead he just reaches over to hold Niall’s hand, and they ride the rest of the way in silence.

Most silence is deafening for Niall, makes him feel restless or worried or anxious, but with Zayn it’s almost as though the silence does the talking for him. Seeing him in the seat next to him, Niall knows that Zayn’s not tense anymore, that he’s relaxed and really lowering his walls, if only just a little. He’s holding Niall’s hand and watching as London begins to surround them. 

They pull up outside a towering black and grey building, modular and angled and reaching up towards the sky. Niall steps out and is about to explain where they’re at, only Zayn beats him to it, because he knows.

“It’s the new Tate,” he says blankly, staring up at it in awe.

Niall grins. It may be just past breakfast time, but it’s warm already because it’s summertime in England. He rolls up the sleeves on his button down shirt and says, “Aye. And this is where we’ll be spending most of our day.”

Zayn looks confused. “But it’s not meant to open for another two days,” he says. Niall thinks it’s endearing, how much of an expert Zayn is on this particular art museum. The writers hadn’t been joking when they’d said how much Zayn enjoyed it.

“I know,” Niall grins. “We get it all to ourselves today.”

Zayn reaches over for Niall’s hand, clearly pleased but also looking a little bit dumbfounded. “That’s… a big deal,” Zayn says, looking around at this new building, the place he’s been dying to get a look at since he’d heard the Tate was moving to a bigger and better building.

Niall looks over at Zayn and shrugs. “Well, this whole process is kind of a big deal, yeah? And like… I heard you were a fan of art, so I wanted to do something special,” he says.

A woman steps out the front door of the building and waves to them, recognizing the couple she’s meant to let into the building thanks to all the camera equipment and crew surrounding them. Niall leads Zayn into the building and pauses in the entry, letting Zayn look around for a few minutes.

It’s amazing, really, and Niall wishes he knew more about art to appreciate it as much as Zayn appears to. But he’s going to try, and he wants to learn from his future husband or wife and begin to share interests with them, so spending the day at the Tate Modern with Zayn is a great way to start. 

They take a tour of the place, and it’s ten storeys of Zayn looking around with wide eyes, pointing out pieces of art or sculptures to Niall and giving him a little explanation, the background of them. It’s impressive to Niall, how much Zayn knows about all of this stuff, and even the woman giving them a tour seems surprised by his extensive knowledge.

By the time they’re finished it’s time to sit down for lunch, so they go to the cafe on the main level of the museum to order something light. As they’re sitting there, each of them is brought a tablet. “When you draw, the art gets added to the mosaic on that wall behind you,” the tour guide says to them. “It’s a new building, so we’re starting fresh. Your art today will cover that entire wall.”

Niall notices the way Zayn’s smile grows, the way his eyes light up, and he nudges his elbow as he says, “Draw me something.”

Zayn picks up the stylus and makes a few spots on the screen, testing it out. “You can’t put me on the spot like that,” Zayn says, a smile playing on his lips. “I don’t do well under pressure.”

“You draw, I’ll eat for the both of us,” Niall laughs, looking down at his plate of food that’s just been delivered by the waitress. She sets Zayn’s plate down as well, and leaves them to it.

Zayn starts with a few sketch lines, nothing all that fancy, and Niall takes a few bites of his sandwich as he watches. “You’re making me nervous,” Zayn whines as Niall peeks over his shoulder.

Niall’s response is to put a crisp to Zayn’s lips until he eats it, and he looks away to take a sip of his water. They snack on their food, Niall feeding Zayn for most of it, whilst Zayn draws whatever it is he’s drawing. He won’t let Niall see yet.

As they sit there, Niall decides to ask Zayn about himself, to try to learn more about this dark, mysterious man he’d been asked to keep around. So far, he’s glad he’s done it. “So what do you do?” he asks, poking some crisps around in the bag before settling on the perfect one. He crunches down on it before Zayn replies.

Zayn keeps his focus on the tablet, on the art he’s meticulously drawing for Niall, but replies, “I’m a project assistant at an art gallery.”

“You studied art in school?” Niall asks curiously. He loves learning all these things about people - jobs they’ve got that he didn’t expect them to have. He’d assumed art was just a hobby for Zayn, not a full-on career.

“Yeah, got my degree in art history,” Zayn says. “Now I help curate gallery showings. I’m only an assistant so I haven’t got much power yet, but I try to come up with themes or specific artists for museum focuses, try to get their pieces in the museum, stuff like that.” He looks over at Niall. “I want to be a manager of this stuff one day… like, get to make the decisions? And like, old stuff is great, but if I had my way I’d work in a museum of modern art. I love the style.” He swallows, realizing he’s letting his passion get away from him, the words tumbling out of his mouth unabashedly, rambling on. “Lots of artists out there who deserve exposure who’ll never get it because of race or money or something stupid like that.”

Niall’s expression softens and he smiles, studying Zayn for a moment as Zayn puts his full attention back on his art, cheeks a bit flushed. “I think that’s wicked brilliant,” Niall says, beaming. “Like - wow, and here I just want to make sure my company turns a profit next quarter. You’re out here making an actual difference.”

“Not making a difference yet,” Zayn corrects him. “But one day. Hopefully.”

Niall knows that Zayn’s going to, that he’s deserving of the job and he’s clearly got the passion required for it. “I hope you do,” Niall offers kindly. “It sounds like you’d be really great at it.”

Zayn tries to hide a coy smile, and after just a few more minutes, he turns the tablet to their guide and she taps a few buttons on the screen. Then, in bright lights that shine through the dim daylight filling the atrium, the art projects onto the wall. In just a few days’ time the wall will be covered in hundreds of pieces made the same way Zayn’s done his, but for now, it’s all Zayn’s. And Niall stares up at the art that he’s done.

For just an hours’ worth of work, maybe, it’s massively impressive. Zayn’s done bright graffiti work, little pictures and symbols surrounding their names, wavy and edgy and cool: Niall + Zayn. Niall blushes pink and reaches out for Zayn, to hold his hand. “I love it,” he says.

“It’s so bloody cheesy,” Zayn mumbles, embarrassed by his own romantic gesture towards Niall.

“It’s amazing,” Niall counters, and he bumps his nose against Zayn’s cheek to get his attention.

Zayn turns to face Niall, surprised by the odd gesture, and Niall takes a brief moment to look into Zayn’s eyes before he leans in and presses a soft, hesitant kiss to Zayn’s lips. He goes for it and presses back, gentle and sweet. It’s so unlike what Niall would have expected, but he loves it. Niall feels the scruff of Zayn’s facial hair against his chin and his lip, and he smiles, reaching a hand up to hold Zayn there, fingers splaying over his cheek, thumb along his sharp jawline. He feels Zayn squeeze his hand as they kiss, and slowly, ever so slowly, Niall pulls away. “Thank you,” he smiles, looking Zayn in the eyes.

Zayn looks surprised more than anything - by the gesture, his feelings, the kiss; Niall doesn’t know - but he slowly begins to smile and Niall decides he loves it. Zayn’s got an incredibly lovely smile when he feels like showing it. 

They take their time leaving the Tate, and once they’re finished with that part of their date, a team of assistants get them back into the car and headed towards a hotel in downtown London, somewhere swanky and expensive, where they’re told to split up and get ready for a fancy dinner. Niall does an interview talking about how Zayn had surprised him with his skills and his ambitions and how sweet he could be, and Zayn does his own interview where he says he thought Niall had kept him around out of pity, because he’s not that talkative or interesting.

Hours later they’re meeting up again in a private terrace area of the hotel, dinner set out for them. They eat in companionable silence, Niall asking Zayn about his family, about where he’s from. Zayn asks questions right back, and by the time they’re done with dinner, they actually feel like they know each other a little bit.

“So… what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?” Niall asks curiously, as they’re nursing glasses of wine after their dinner is fully eaten.

Zayn considers it for a moment, swirling his wine around in his glass, before he says, “I auditioned for X-Factor when I was sixteen. Didn’t even make it onto the telly, but I got pretty far. I was on a bit of the Xtra Factor though, so I guess that’s cool.”

Niall looks impressed, and is admittedly a bit surprised by the answer. “You can sing?”

Noncommittally, Zayn shrugs and says, “I like to sing. Clearly I’m not all that great, though.”

Niall snorts. “Sometimes the X-Factor lets some of the worst acts through. Makes for good TV or something. You made it through a few rounds though! That’s massive, especially at age sixteen.”

Their eyes meet and Zayn’s not used to this, someone not letting him brush off his accomplishments like they’re nothing. Niall praises him, thinks what he does is interesting, and it’s not often that Zayn meets someone so attentive to him and his dreams and desires. “What about you?” he asks. “Craziest thing you’ve ever done?”

Niall grins. “When I was interrailling, before I settled down proper and set up my business,” he says, “I was out with some friends in Wales, and we decided to go cliffdiving. Bloody terrifying, but it was _amazing_.”

“I couldn’t do that,” Zayn says, shaking his head. His eyes are wide and he looks terrified just at the thought. “That’s -- really crazy, Niall.”

“It wasn’t so bad,” Niall shrugs. “Just really bloody cold.”

“Easy for you to say. You know how to swim,” he laughs.

Niall looks at Zayn with surprise and he asks, “You don’t know how to swim?” Zayn looks away and doesn’t really say anything. Niall nudges him gently and says, “I’m not making fun of you, you know. I could teach you one day.”

Zayn glances up at Niall, gazing through his beautiful, long lashes, looking grateful. “Maybe. I guess we’ll see, yeah?” 

And that’s the first hint of vulnerability Niall gets to see, and Zayn doesn’t show it for long, but Niall still catches it. He smiles and reaches across the table, knowing that Zayn just needs some validation. “I guess we will,” Niall says, holding the rose between them. “I don’t know about you, but today was one of the best dates I’ve ever had. You showed me some of your art and I mean, we had some good conversation. So Zayn… will you accept this rose?”

Zayn almost looks surprised, even though he feels the same, that it was an amazing date, and he swallows before he reaches out for the rose. “Yeah. yeah, definitely,” Zayn says, nodding. He smiles, and Niall leans over to steal a kiss before any more words can come out of their mouths.

Niall takes Zayn back to the manor at the end of the night, and they share another kiss on the front steps, slow and tender and completely private. Niall’s hands hold Zayn’s face along his jaw, and Zayn’s hands are holding tight into the back of Niall’s shirt, rose in one hand. It feels like it lasts forever yet not nearly long enough, and Niall waits for Zayn to go upstairs and into his room. Niall takes a different staircase up to his private rooms, and he takes a deep breath.

This is already getting incredibly hard.

*

The day before, while Zayn was out with Niall, everyone else had received the date card and it had been read aloud. It’s a group date, with a whole thirteen people joining Niall for _something_ , and everyone’s feeling jittery and nervous. In a crowd of thirteen it’s going to be hard to stand out. Gemma’s name had been absent from the card, though, meaning she got the last one on one for the week. She’d been ecstatic, and Harry tried very hard to remain happy for his sister, even though he was incredibly jealous.

Everyone’s bustling about except for Gemma and Zayn. Gemma’s in the kitchen making kettles upon kettles of tea for the half-awake contestants, and Zayn’s still snoozing away upstairs, exhausted from his late night the evening before. They all want to look their best, but also have no idea what exactly it is that they’re doing on this date.

An assistant gathers them all together at half nine, and most of them take to-go cups of tea with them as they shuffle into one last shoe, or adjust one last necklace or earring. It’s hard to get ready with so few mirrors, since they create problems for the cameras, what with the whole trying to stay unseen thing. Everyone’s dressed up just a little, wearing something business casual, so they won’t stick out at the place Niall’s taking them to. Everyone looks stunning and gets approval from the production crew, so they file out the door.

There are two limos waiting outside, and everyone piles in, seven in one and six in the other. 

Bottles of champagne are ready for pouring as soon as they have a seat, and everyone’s feeling giddy and a little more relaxed as the limos pull up to the destination. They’re in Covent Garden, at the beautiful Royal Opera House, and Niall’s standing out front looking especially smart in his tight black trousers, a patterned navy blue shirt, and a gray sweater over top, the sleeves and collar sticking out to show off his patterned button down underneath. He’s wearing glasses - black frames, this time - and he looks so, _so_ handsome. 

Everyone clambers out of the limos and as they do, Niall smiles and walks up to greet them, arms outstretched. He hugs everyone, says hello, and waits until the limos pull away before he gestures to the building behind him. “So, it’s always been a dream of mine to perform for big crowds. When I was a kid, I was always playing guitar, and music was really important to me. I didn’t pursue it because a career in music just sounded so unattainable, so instead I just do it in my free time. And now I want to share it with you,” he says.

A few people exchange looks, some of happiness and some of trepidation, and it’ll be an interesting mix once they get on stage, this Niall knows for sure. 

Niall’s been at the building for a while now, getting a tour from a staff member so he knows exactly where to go to get the men and women where they should be. He leads them through doors at the back of the orchestra level for the main auditorium. It’s massive, and it’s in pristine condition, and the lights make the gold and the red shimmer just so. The place is so beautiful it draws audible gasps out of a few, and Niall just keeps walking until they’re at the stairs to the stage, and then standing up on stage.

It’s incredible, staring out at the hundreds of seats, the grandeur of the theatre, and of course, being there with Niall makes it all even better for the thirteen contestants standing around him on stage. There’s some music equipment out on stage and Niall’s grinning, but in a way that makes a few of them wonder what’s about to happen. It’s like he knows what’s going to happen, like he’s got a trick up his sleeve.

“So, what do you think?” he asks them.

“It’s massive,” Louis says, eyes wide as he stares at the seats, the boxes, the balcony up above.

“It’s so beautiful,” Taylor adds with a big smile on her face.

They’re all full of wide-eyed wonder, for the most part, and Niall walks along the stage to face them all at the same time. “So, one thing I really like to do is sing,” he explains. “When I was in uni, my mates and I would go out to karaoke just so I could sing and keep in practice.”

Peoples’ attention is being drawn back to Niall as he talks about himself, explains more of who he is to these people that want to get to know him, want him to fall in love with them. “I also really love orchestral pieces. I saw an orchestra performance here a few weeks ago and it blew my mind,” he says. “Music is basically really, really important to me and I wanted to mix all these really great memories together into today’s date.” Everyone’s quiet now, eyes on Niall, a few of them looking a bit nervous. “We’re going to sing karaoke in the Royal Opera House.”

There are choruses of _oh no!_ and _oh my god!_ and _are you fucking serious!?_ and it’s hard for Niall to get a read on whether everyone’s excited, terrified, or a mix of the two. He smiles and waves his hands to quiet them down, though, and says, “To hopefully ease some of your nerves, I’ll go first. Everyone, go have a seat.”

They file into the first couple of rows in the orchestra seating and Niall finds a song he wants on the computer. Then he stands in front of the microphone and sings Kings of Leon’s _Use Somebody_. The thirteen men and women he’s dating watch with varying degrees of surprise, and when he’s finished, they all cheer and applaud. Niall looks exhilarated, and feels it, too, and he’ll never get over the joy and excitement that courses through his veins when he sings. Nothing else compares to it, not even when he’s singing to a mostly-empty theatre and his thirteen boyfriends and girlfriends.

“Alright, who’s next?” he says into the microphone.

There are some nervous glances, a few people shaking their heads no, until Demi stands up. “I’ll go,” she says, walking up to the microphone. 

A few people exchange whispers - like Louis to Liam, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Niall - but she pretends she doesn’t see them. “How do I pick a song?” she asks.

Niall leads her to the computer, helps her scroll through all of her options, and she chooses a powerful Christina Aguilera song to belt out. “Just have fun with it,” Niall says.

Demi nods, but she knows that nobody has any idea the type of singing she does in her free time, the accolades she’d won in school when she was younger. She’s not even sure she’s told Niall yet that she was a vocal performance student, that she graduated and now teaches choir and gives private vocal lessons at her old high school. Singing is Demi’s _thing_ , and everyone’s about to find out.

Just one verse into the song and already Niall’s eyes are wide and he’s grinning like mad and he look so surprised but so incredibly pleased that Demi is giving it her all right from the start. She’s got so much talent, and she’s not afraid to show it, and that means quite a lot to him.

Demi’s performance strikes a fire in the others though, and one by one they all go through and sing a song. Some of them have voices that are soft and high, like Selena and Ellie, and others have a bit of a raspy quality to them, like Harry and Bressie. Louis tries his very hardest but stumbles over the lyrics a bit after his voice cracks just the slightest. He’s clearly very good at singing, but too worried about doing it in front of a crowd to really do his best. When he leaves the stage, he won’t even look Niall in the eyes.

Nick, bless his heart, tries so hard to sing an old Aerosmith ballad, _Don’t Want to Miss A Thing_ , but he’s off-key for most of it. Niall joins in at the end, the two of them singing with Niall’s arm around Nick’s waist and Nick’s arm around his shoulders, and there are a few sour faced individuals in the seats at Nick and Niall’s impromptu duet.

It’s so endearing to Niall, that Nick would get up there and belt it out unabashedly even though he’s off key and just generally isn’t a very good singer, but he’s still blown away by Demi’s bravery and her skills and the way she wasn’t afraid to get up there and fill the entire auditorium with her voice.

Niall’s madly impressed with everyone, and he tells them as much when they’ve all sung a song. “I want to thank you all for indulging me with this karaoke date. I appreciate the effort each of you put in, and I wanted you to know how much it meant to me that you’d let yourselves be vulnerable like that in front of everyone else. So thank you,” he says. “I’m really impressed with each of you for trying your best.” He glances over at Louis, hoping he’ll meet his eyes and understand that he really _is_ pleased with how it went, but Louis is still staring down at the ground.

They leave the Royal Opera House and gather back out on the sidewalk where he’d first met them. “I have a really special evening planned for you guys, so I’m going to say goodbye for a little bit, and I’ll see you guys very soon,” Niall says, waving to them. “Get dressed up and be ready for a great end to our date.”

They break apart for an hour, so Niall can go one way to get ready and everyone else can cram into one hotel room to try to get ready in the same amount of time. It’s chaos, and girls are helping girls with their makeup and men are trying to help the other men with their hair and some last minute adjustments to ties or shirts or suit coats. 

Louis has been quiet the whole time, and only Liam seems to be cracking through and talking to him, the two of them off in a corner while everyone else bustles around getting ready. Liam convinces Louis to let him brush his hair to the side, to add just a bit of his pomade to the the swoosh of his fringe just right. When there’s a knock on the door and someone from the crew is telling them to go downstairs to the private terrace of a this hotel, they do as they’re told. 

When they get there, two limos are waiting outside again, and nobody knows where they’re going or what Niall’s got planned for the rest of the night. Last time they just stayed at the hotel and did the cocktail party outside. It only starts to make sense when they approach a pier and there’s a boat out there waiting for them at the end of it, Niall waiting at the entrance to the boat looking handsome as ever in khakis and a burgundy knit sweater. He’s still wearing the glasses and his hair’s been coiffed up again, and just the sight of him puts a big smile on everyone’s faces. 

Niall helps everyone cross onto the boat from the pier, and they’re led down to a lounge area where drinks are waiting for them. Louis still seems a bit standoffish, and he reaches eagerly for a drink as they all sit down on the lovely plush furniture.

Niall wants to reach out to Louis, to take him away to spend a little time alone, one on one, but before he's got the chance, Liam is snagging him away. Niall acquiesces, as he's meant to, and smiles as Liam takes his hand and leads him to the deck of the cruise boat. They sit on a bench and Liam unbuttons the front of his jacket before reaching out for Niall’s hand again. “So what did you think of today?” Niall asks.

“It was good. Scary, but I like to sing so it was fine,” Liam shrugs. “I think a few people aren't so confident though.”

Niall nods, and he knows he shouldn't but he can't help but ask, “Is Louis alright?”

Liam looks a little sad as he meets Niall’s eyes, and all he says in response is, “You should ask him yourself. Make time for him tonight, okay?”

It's probably the first time in Bachelor history that someone tells the bachelor to spend time with someone else, but Niall appreciates the place it's coming from. Liam's got a heart too big for his body and it's so amazing to Niall, seeing him keep that even in a competition like this. “I will,” Niall nods.

They turn the conversation around after that, talking a bit about Liam's favourite musicians until they're interrupted by Demi.

She only gets about five minutes with Niall, because making time for thirteen people is hard so they've got to push their way in, and they do. In their short five minutes Niall compliments Demi's voice and learns what she does for a living, and just as he's explaining his own job, Harry cuts in.

Niall and Harry have a wonderful conversation about music, since that had been the theme of the day, and Harry confesses that he, too, had auditioned for the X-Factor. He hadn’t made it on an age technicality, but chose not to go back after getting his job at the bakery. If there was one thing he loved more than music, it was baking, and he says he’s secure in his decision.

He looks a bit wistful as he says it, but it’s none of Niall’s business. He trusts Harry to know what’s best for him.

Bressie cuts in after that, and the two of them have a lengthy chat about their hometown, mostly. They reminisce about familiar faces, and places they’d both go. Bressie’s thirteen years older than Niall though, so naturally their paths never crossed. By the time Niall was old enough to really properly enjoy a bar, Bressie had moved on, gone to uni, and begun his work as a counsellor for youth. He opens up to Niall about his mental health, how it had been really terrible once upon a time, and that he’d taken a break before uni to really take care of himself and get back to a good place. Now he’s doing the same thing someone else had done for him, reaching out and advocating for teens and young adults dealing with the same stuff.

Niall looks at Bressie like he hung up the moon for him when he hears it, learns the struggle Bressie’s been through and what brings him to the Bachelor, and why he’s looking to date now rather than five or even ten years ago. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you telling me that stuff about your past,” he says softly, looking up into Bressie’s eyes in the still of the night. “It couldn’t have been easy. But thank you for trusting me.”

Bressie smiles, and he’s so warm Niall can’t take his hands off of him, and he reaches up to pull him into a kiss. “You’re easy to trust,” Bressie says, and he means it as a warning as much as he means it as a compliment.

When Niall and Bressie break from the kiss, Niall lets out a breath and looks across at him for a moment. Niall flashes him a smile for reassurance and then one of the writers comes in to encourage him to go find Louis. They think he's going to blow up and make for some fantastic drama. Niall hopes it doesn't come to that.

He and Bressie walk back hand in hand and that garners a few sour looks. Moods aren’t helped when Niall turns to Louis and asks, “Lou, can I steal you?”

Louis nods and stands, though he’s looking a little wobbly and still won’t make eye contact with Niall. Their hands meet as they walk away though, and Niall considers it a small victory. He’s not so sure what’s up with Louis, whether he’s upset because of the date, or about the hiccup in his solo up on stage, or if maybe he just doesn’t think Niall’s the one for him, but he’s determined to find out.

They walk up the stairs and to the front of the boat, nothing but the lights of the city and the River Thames spread out in front of them. It was silent and private, nothing but the two of them and their conversation. "What can I do to make it better?” Niall asks sweetly, keeping Louis’s hand tight in his own while turning to face him. He uses his free hand to cup Louis’s cheek, to guide his face just the slightest bit upwards to make Louis look him in the eyes.

“It wasn’t you,” Louis sighs. He looks up at Niall and frowns deeply. “I’m annoyed at myself. And now I’ve gone and gotten pissed during a bloody reality tv show filming and... “ He looks away again, feeling mortified. His cheeks are red both from embarrassment and the alcohol, and Niall gestures off screen for someone to get a water.

He’s offered a bottle of it right away, and he holds it out to Louis. “It’s alright,” he reassures him, running a hand up and down Louis’s arm in what he hopes is a comforting manner. Louis looks so fragile, so scared, and Niall wishes he knew better how to help. “Tell me what I can do to cheer you up. I want to help, Louis.”

Louis is quiet for a moment, and Niall has half a mind to wonder if he’s gone and fallen asleep on them, but then he moves, the slightest bit of movement, his thumb picking at the wrapper on the water bottle. “Just forget I’ve gone and done that whole singing thing, okay?” he says. “I’m clearly rubbish at it, and it’s gotten me nowhere other than _one_ dumb leading role in a musical, and like, I know I’m not good at it, okay? So let’s just not go through the pain of you pretending that I was.”

Niall’s mouth drops open in surprise, and he just stares at Louis, taking him in, analyzing him and frowning when he realizes the poor guy’s got no faith in himself. “Louis, no,” Niall says gently, putting an arm around his shoulders. He walks with him to a bench that’s been set up by the balcony wall, and they sit down. “I’m not pretending when I say I thought you were brilliant. Because you were. Your voice is so unique -,”

“High pitched? Girly? I think that’s what you mean,” Louis snaps.

Niall purses his lips and frowns, watching Louis for a moment. He doesn’t want to fight, but he wishes Louis knew how highly he thought of him. “I love your voice, alright?” Niall says softly. “I want to hear you sing more, but not like that, not when you feel so pressured. I’ll bet you sound like something you could be proud of when you’re all alone, yeah?” He knows he must, or else he’d never put himself out there for singing things like a musical in the first place. Louis shrugs noncommittally, but it’s good enough for Niall. “I promise to forget today if you really want me to, but I’m not going to forget that I know you can sing,” he bargains.

“ _Everyone_ here can sing, apparently,” Louis sighs.

“Except Eoghan,” Niall offers.

Louis sits up, thinking back to the afternoon, and a smirk spreads across his face. It’s close enough to a smile that Niall will take it. Then he adds, “Nick, too. He was rubbish.”

Niall doesn’t want to sit and say terrible things about the others, but he nods in agreement, because Louis was indeed a better singer than both of those lads, and there’s no use in denying it. “My point is that you’re better than you think, and it seems to me that you’re just being a little hard on yourself today,” Niall says.

He reaches down to cover Louis’s hand with his own, and he says, “You don’t have to worry when you’re around me, alright? I’m not going to judge you.”

“But that’s what you’re meant to do, isn’t it?”

“I’m meant to get to know you,” Niall counters. “It’s different.”

Louis looks up at Niall and for once, it feels like he’s let his defenses down. “I told you this last week and I’ll tell you again,” Niall says, his voice gentle, his hand squeezing Louis’s. “You can trust me. You can let your walls down, okay?”

Something in Louis’s eyes shifts, just the slightest, like he’s trusting Niall a little bit. He can see why it might be difficult, why it might make Louis squirm on the inside because Niall’s a near perfect stranger to him, but considering how guarded he starts out and how open he ends up after each of their talks, Niall’s proud of him. He feels lucky, knowing Louis trusts him so much.

They’re told by the crew to wrap it up, to go downstairs to the dinner lounge on the cruise so Niall can hand out the group date rose. They go, hand in hand, and Louis doesn’t let go until he’s given Niall a kiss on the cheek in front of everyone. He walks tall, trying to act like he doesn’t care that he’s just painted a target on his back.

Niall stands before everyone, the rose sitting on the table in front of all thirteen people he’s just been on a date with that day. He reaches out for it, and he hesitates before he speaks, eyes focused on the one little flower in front of him. He can smell it as he twirls it between his fingers, and he really badly wishes he was more confident today, about who to give the rose to.

He’s not one hundred percent sure that he’s made the right decision, but after thanking everyone for a wonderful day out in London, he gives out the rose. “Today I was really blown away by the courage all of you had. There are a few people I want to acknowledge for that, but unfortunately I’ve only got one rose. So... “ he pauses, looks around at everyone, and spots the person he’s looking for. “Demi. Will you accept this rose?”

She smiles, bright and beautiful and so sweet, so unlike the harsh exterior she likes to present when she’s all dressed up and has others to compete against. She walks up to him and gives him a hug, and Niall lets his hand linger on her waist as he gives her the rose and kisses her cheek.

Demi returns to her seat and Niall says goodnight to them all, trying to ignore the pain he feels in his chest at the looks some people had on their faces, like Liam, or even worse, Louis. They looked like they’d been kicked square in the gut, and it made Niall’s chest ache and his breath get trapped in his throat.

He’s really not sure he’s making the right decisions so far, and he’s still got one more date to go before the rose ceremony.

When Niall wakes up early the next morning, he’s told by the writers what their date is going to be that day, and it hits him that he knows nothing about Gemma. He would have planned a terrible date if it wasn’t for these writers, these experts on the people he’s dating. She’s waiting by the door, sipping at the last dregs of her morning tea, when Niall gets down to the foyer. 

Niall’s cheeks turn pink because it should be the other way around, he thinks. He’s supposed to be the one waiting for her, to pick her up, but there she is. “Morning,” she smiles.

“Morning,” Niall says, reaching out for a hug.

She extends the hand holding her mug of tea so she doesn't spill and gives him a hug in return, and then passes the mug off to Taylor, who’s downstairs with Gemma and Selena for breakfast. “Ready to go?” 

“Yeah,” she says, and lets Niall take her hand. They walk out the front doors and there’s a car waiting for them, something sleek and vintage with a driver up front waiting for them. 

Niall holds the door for Gemma and she climbs in, and something feels off already. It makes Niall’s stomach twist into knots and he worries, thinks that maybe the day is going to be a total disaster. He tries to stay optimistic, though, and tries to focus his full attention on her as the car takes them to their first stop of the day.

The sun is barely risen above the horizon when they reach the clear, green hilltop. There are a couple of hot air balloons on the ground, waiting, and Gemma laughs. She’s cute when she laughs, and Niall offers his hand as they get out of the car, holding it as they walk up the hill. “Oh my gosh this is every romance novel cliche,” she laughs. “Clever.”

Niall pretends to look offended and he says, “I dunno what romance novels you’re reading. This sounds fun.”

“Good thing I’m not afraid of heights,” she repiles.

Niall helps her into the basket of the balloon, and he climbs in after her, nearly stumbling over because the walls of it are so tall. She catches him, and Niall’s blushing all over again. 

The mood settles when the balloon starts to rise, though, and Gemma stands at the edge of the basket, staring out at London getting smaller in the distance, below them. Niall stands behind her, arms framing her hips, and he puts his chin on her shoulder as they watch the buildings getting smaller below them. 

Gemma puts her hands on Niall’s and holds them, sharing a quiet, tender moment. Neither of them speaks, mostly because the balloon is too loud but partially because they don’t know what to say. Niall likes the silence, but Gemma keeps glancing over at him curiously. “What?” she asks.

Niall turns to face her and their noses bump, and he says, “Nothing. Just waiting for this thing to be done making noise so we can talk.”

“We can talk now,” she shouts over the sound of the balloon adding more hot air.

Niall kisses her cheek and stands in silence a little more, choosing to show his affection physically instead of vocally. He moves his hands where here we still holding them from the railing to her waist, and she smiles. Her hair is blowing in his face a bit but he leans in and tucks his face next to hers, holding her waist and watching the world unfold beneath them. “What do you think?” he asks finally, when they're floating up in the air and the hot air isn't a near constant disruption.

Gemma gives a small smile, lips together and dimples just like her brother, and says, “I think it's fun. Not at all what I'd expected.”

“What _did_ you expect?” he wonders.

She chuckles dryly. “I half expected to end up in a cooking class or something,” she says honestly. Cooking is Harry, not her. She sighs. “I honestly don't know. Not something this grand, I guess.”

Niall laughs. “Yeah I never thought I'd ever be doing something like this,” he says.

“And yet here we are,” Gemma muses.

Niall looks over at her where she's watching him, his arms still around her waist, and he echoes, “And here we are.”

They start trying to search for landmarks or unique buildings and it's fun. Things feel more relaxed. Niall leans in and captures her lips in a kiss, and he hates that his mind immediately goes to Harry. Nobody has to know though, he thinks.

Except he's not so lucky. 

As soon as the balloon is back on the ground he and Gemma are being whisked in opposite directions to do interviews and they ask him right away if Gemma reminds him of Harry. “I'm trying to remember that they're not related. It's hard, because they look so alike, but it's important to remember that they're their own people. They're individuals and deserved to be treated that way throughout this whole process.”

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Niall, Gemma is thinking the same thing. “He called me Harry once today, and didn't even realize it,” she says. “We were up in the balloon trying to spot old castles and stuff, and it just slipped out and he didn't correct himself. I don't think he means anything bad by it, he's just got a lot more chemistry with my brother. I get it.” She shrugs. “Sort of sucks though. He's quite handsome, isn't he?”

It's a long car drive back to the city, so the two of them have plenty of time to talk on the way. Gemma’s sitting cross legged on the seat, leaning into Niall, who's holding her hand and smiling at her. Being up in a hot air balloon was such a unique experience, and he's buzzing from it. It feels like so far, the date is going really well. Gemma launches into a new conversation though, and that makes Niall uneasy.

“So how do you like it? Dating siblings, I mean.”

Niall laughs. He appreciates how blunt she can be, though he'd much rather be talking about her than the other people he's dating. “Well, You and Harry -,”

“I’m nothing like Harry.”

He startles, shocked that she interrupted him so harshly. “I know. I realize that,” Niall frowns.

“Do you really realize it, though? That I’m so different from Harry?” Gemma asks, looking concerned.

She’s studying Niall, and sure, they’re holding hands, but the car feels ice cold and Niall swallows hard because he hadn’t realized that he was making her feel this way, like she’s just another version of Harry, only female and a bit shorter. He looks into her eyes and tries so, so hard to find words. “I know you are,” Niall says finally, his voice tight and shaking just a little from nerves. “I’m just meeting both of you. Sometimes it’s - there are _so_ many people here and I’m just trying to get to know all of you. I’ve just had more time with Harry so far.”

“That shouldn’t matter.”

Niall sighs. “You’re right. It shouldn’t. And I’m sorry,” he says earnestly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “I want to learn how you’re different from him. I want to get to know _you_ , and I’m sorry I’m struggling with figuring out how to do that with siblings.”

She’s still watching him through narrowed eyes, and Niall’s about seventy-five percent sure she’s about to walk out and quit, give up on him completely because he’s made a complete bollocks of the situation. Instead, she sighs and says, “Thank you.” Gemma pushes a long, curled strand of hair out of her face and says, “This is just - new territory I guess. My brother and I have never dated the same person before.”

“What can I do?” Niall asks. He wants to make it better. He wants Gemma to feel like she's wanted, too.

“Dunno if there's anything you _can_ do, really,” she confesses.

Niall squeezes her hand, watches her with his full attention, and hopes she’ll open up to him, that she’ll tell him how she's feeling.

“I have to be honest with you about something,” she says, her voice softer and more tender than it’s been all day.

“You can tell me anything,” Niall replies, still watching her intently. He pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and waits, not pressuring her at all.

After a heavy sigh, Gemma gathers her thoughts and says, “A major part of why I came was for Harry. He was nervous, and I mean, I'd like to settle down too, but Harry needed support. He's never put himself out there like this.”

Niall's expression shifts from warmth to confusion, and he doesn't know what to say. 

Softly, Gemma continues, “And I wanted to give this a real shot. Honestly. But you and I… we're different people. We're never going to work out, not when all you can do when you look at me is think of Harry.”

“I don't -,”

“You called me Harry today and didn't even realize,” she reminds him. Niall looks guilty, and shifts his gaze from her eyes to her hands

“I'm sorry.”

Gemma smiles, her expression a bit sad, and when Niall looks up at her she says, “It's okay. Not everyone here is going to be the one for you. Some will feel more like friends.” Gemma lets go of his hands and says, “Just consider us friends rather than lovers. It's a clean break. A happy one.”

Niall nods, knowing it's better to do this now than later, before things get serious rather than after. They can salvage what's left of their short time together and make it into something positive. Something platonic.

When the car gets to the next location, a fashion and textile museum, Niall asks, “Do you want to go in?”

Gemma shakes her head and sees someone from production approaching from the other car. “I should go,” she says.

Niall's hyper aware of the cameras now, of the passersby on the street watching as he and Gemma part ways. She gives him a hug and he reciprocates it warmly, his hand rubbing a soft circle into her back. “It was nice meeting you,” he says.

“You too,” Gemma replies. “Don't break my brother’s heart, alright?”

Niall nods, and he walks her back to the car so she can be taken to the manor separately. He's going to inevitably be pulled away for interviews, so he just doesn't bother moving. 

Gemma stares out the window the whole ride back, and the only interview she gives is when she says that it was for the best, and that she can't stand in the way when Niall seems so smitten with Harry.

Heads turn as Gemma walks into the sitting room of the manor where nobody is expecting to see her for hours. Harry's eyes go wide and he rushes to her, and Selena whispers to Taylor in hushed tones. “I'm fine,” Gemma says loudly to everyone as Harry envelops her in a hug. “I called it off, it's okay.”

Louis looks downright shocked, his bright blue eyes wide, and Liam's got his mouth gaped open in surprise. Eoghan is the first to chime up and he asks, “What does this mean?”

“It means I'm leaving,” she says. Now she understands why a contestant has to pack their bags before a date, even if it's a one on one and they're confident they're going to get a rose. “You've all just gotten a little higher chance of staying tomorrow at the rose ceremony now. You're welcome,” Gemma replies, her wit dry and sarcastic and her eyes looking just a bit sad.

Harry grabs her bag for her and walks out the door with her, everyone else left to gossip in the lounge. Gemma is pulled aside one last time to do an interview, and she bats Harry away as she says, “Of course I'm sad. I came into this to support Harry but I sort of wish I'd been able to find love. I want to settle down and have a family, too.” She dabs under her eyes and says, “It was hard. We could have made it work. But Niall is clearly falling for my brother already so I'm not going to stand in the way of that. I love my brother too much to do something like that.”

Her eyes look glassy and it's clear she's not as okay with it as she'd first let on, but she means what she says and doesn't want to change her mind. Harry swoops in to hug her, deciding for her that the interview is now finished. “Say hi to mum for me,” Harry whispers, though their mics pick it up so the cameras can use it.

“I will,” Gemma nods into his shoulder. She lets out a shuddering breath and stands up, letting go of Harry. She dabs at her eyes and stops crying as she says, “I just want you to be happy, okay? And he's clearly mad about you so that's good. See you soon, alright?”

“Not until hometowns,” Harry says, feeling unbelievably hopeful.

They hug one more time and then Harry sees her off. When Niall returns to the manor an hour later, nobody even sees him. He sits up in his room the rest of the night, trying to figure out what to do at the rose ceremony the next night. As the weeks progress, it gets harder and harder to decide who to send home, and after getting dumped, it's even worse.

Niall feels anxious, walking into the next rose ceremony. He looks a lot more relaxed than he feels, in his slick black suit and dark tie with baby blue polka dots. Everyone’s already gathered in the sitting room of the manor and waiting for him, dressed up like is required for the rose ceremony.

“Hey everyone,” Niall says as he walks in. “As I’m sure you noticed yesterday, Gemma and I had a talk on our one on one and she decided it was best for her to leave. I will miss her, but we have to keep pressing on. At the end of tonight, this means two of you will be saying goodbye. But for now, let’s just enjoy tonight. So, cheers to great conversation.” He holds up a glass of wine, and everyone else holds up their drinks as well.

After a good toast, it’s time for people to start with their one on one time, and Harry’s the first to steal him away. They go out onto the terrace and Harry’s watching Niall closely, holding his hand gentler than he usually does, like he thinks Niall might break or something. “How are you doing?” Harry asks, before they’re even properly sat on the bench by the fountain.

“I’m alright,” Niall nods. He’s quiet though, doesn’t say anything at first. “I think yesterday was just sort of a reality check. I was so focused on getting to know you all and working through this process that I forgot that my feelings might not be reciprocated. That like - _I_ could get dumped too, you know?”

Harry nods along, and he says, “I’m sorry. She meant well. And I know she didn’t want to make you feel like she was wasting your time or anything, though. She came into this wanting to find someone, too.”

“I know,” Niall insists. He takes Harry’s hand and says, “I believe you. I’m not doubting her intentions. Sometimes you just don’t get along with people or it turns out you’d be a lot better off as friends, and it’s fine.”

He looks up into Harry’s eyes and says, “I’d much rather talk about you, though. How was your week?”

“It was good,” Harry smiles. “I loved singing karaoke.”

“You were brilliant,” Niall says, grinning. “Like honestly, you’ve got a lot of talent.”

“Pretty much everyone does.”

Harry nods and looks ready to reply, but the click of heels interrupts them from their conversation and Selena peeks in. “Can I steal him?” she asks.

Politely Harry says yes, and he leans in to give Niall a kiss on the cheek as he hugs him goodbye. Then he steps away, leaving Selena alone with Niall. Right away she’s on her tiptoes, arms around his shoulders, leaning in for a kiss.

Ever since their first meeting, this has been Selena’s favourite thing to do when they’re alone together. Niall indulges her for a moment, in greeting, but then pulls away, leading her to where he’d just been sitting with Harry. “Look, Selena… I don’t just want things to be physical,” he says softly, rubbing his thumb over the back of Selena’s hand. The last thing he wants to do is upset her, so he’s choosing his words very carefully. “I want to get to know _you_.”

She looks down at her lap, unsure. “This is all I’ve ever really known,” she admits. “This is how guys have wanted me to act, in the past.” Selena’s got one leg over the other, and she’s kicking her foot nervously, the heel of the stiletto bumping his calf every once in a while. She’s leaned in towards him and obviously cold in her short, sparkling dress. Niall shrugs off his jacket and puts it around her shoulders, taking care to be gentle, to make sure she knows he wants to help her deal with this, not chuck her aside because of it.

“So just… talk with me, then,” Niall says. “I want to talk and I want to go on dates and I want to figure out who you are beneath all the beauty.” Selena looks up, eyes dark and sparkling and filled with just a hint of fear. “You’re a lot more than just a pretty face.” He chuckles darkly. “That sounded really cliche and I’m sorry. It’s just - really true, okay? Like sure, you’re gorgeous, but that’s not all there is to know about you.”

Selena’s eyes are wet as she studies Niall in the moonlight, and he takes care not to put too much pressure on her, to expect too much of her. “I really want to kiss you right now but I don’t want you to think I’m not listening to what you’re saying, because I am,” she says, voice just above a whisper.

Niall dips in, very gently pressing his lips to Selena’s, showing her how much he cares, how much he knows she’s listening and taking what he says to heart. “You can still kiss me,” he says, smiling against her lips, sharing the words between their mouths. “Just… talk to me too, okay?”

She nods, one small, trembling hand reaching up to cup his jaw. “Okay,” she agrees, and presses another soft kiss to his lips.

After good chats with Eoghan and Jade, Niall feels like it’s nearly time to go into the rose ceremony, to start it. Nobody has really changed his mind - at this point he feels like a few people maybe don’t feel it and this is the easy way out. He’s not sure. It’s hard to balance dating so many people and he’s not really sure what he can be doing better, to get time with everyone when there are fourteen people at a cocktail party with a limited amount of time to talk to him.

As he approaches the sitting room, he hears an argument in the kitchen and goes in to investigate.

“I don’t even know why I’m here. He’s clearly into everyone else more than he is me,” Louis shouts at Liam, who’s trying desperately to keep Louis from leaving the room, from walking out the patio door and making a decision he knows he’ll regret.

“Just stay, give it another week,” Liam begs. “Just talk to him and tell him how you’re feeling. I’m sure he’ll understand.”

Louis looks worried, exhausted, and so stressed out. He’s got bags under his eyes and his hair’s a bit of a mess, and he’s had more liquor than he should have, considering the circumstances. “I don’t know if I can handle another week of this,” he says, feeling defeated.

“Please stay,” Niall says from the doorway.

Both look up, surprised to see Niall standing there listening, being privy to this information that they’d thought was just between the two of them. “See?” Liam says to Louis. “It’s alright. He wants you here. I _told_ you.”

“Liam, could I have a moment alone with Louis?” Niall asks.

Liam nods politely and leaves the kitchen, Louis and Niall now the only ones there. Niall approaches Louis slowly, like he’ll spook and run away and leave forever. “Louis - I’m sorry you’re feeling this way,” he offers. “I don’t want you to feel like you don’t belong here, because I want you here _so_ bad.” Niall reaches out for Louis’s hand and Louis lets him take it.

His fringe has fallen in his eyes and Niall pushes it aside, and when their eyes lock Niall can tell Louis is at his breaking point. “Louis, I am so, _so_ attracted to you,” Niall offers. “I don’t know how else to show you that right now other than standing here telling you, and begging you to just stay. To see if this is something permanent.”

“I don’t know, okay? I don’t know,” Louis says, shaking his head. “I’m just so stressed out all the time. Like, I’ve got so much on my mind and I feel like I’m not all here and I’m so bloody insecure when I _am_ here that like… what’s the point?” Niall opens his mouth to argue that bit, but he can’t because Louis keeps rambling. “I want to be here. I want to meet someone that’s not going to write me off. I don’t want to be a single parent anymore, I just want to be normal. To have a husband and a family and I’m so bloody scared it’s never going to happen.”

Niall stares, because there’s a lot to process there, the least of which being Louis saying he’s a single parent. “Can we talk upstairs?” Niall suggests.

Louis looks half a second away from saying no, so Niall takes his hand and doesn’t really give him a choice. Instead, he leads him upstairs, the cameras frantically trying to keep up as this _definitely_ wasn’t in the plans for the evening. They go up into Niall’s rooms and sit down on the sofa by the window overlooking the moonlit garden.

Niall takes a moment to lace his fingers through Louis’s, to study his slumped figure, before he starts, “So - single father, huh?”

Louis sighs. “I get it if that’s not what you want. Like, if you can’t see yourself as a dad right away. You wouldn’t be the first person who isn’t into it, okay? But like, if you’re not, then I should be getting home to him.”

“When were you going to tell me?” Niall asks, staying steadfastly in his place next to Louis, holding his hand and not wavering in his interest.

Louis shrugs his shoulders and says, “Next week? I said if I got sent home at the beginning I wanted it to be because we didn’t have chemistry. Not because I’m a dad. I didn’t mean to blurt it out.”

“Well I’m glad you told me,” Niall offers. He holds Louis’s hand in both of his and says, “It explains a lot of the stress. Why this process was affecting you more than the others.” Louis looks up, his blue eyes full of worry. “You miss your kid. You’re worried, right? Wondering if this is the right thing for you. If maybe you should be here instead of there. Maybe even a little guilty for coming in the first place?”

Louis nods, surprised Niall knows. “It’s okay,” Niall says, “And it makes perfect sense that you’d feel that way.”

“He’s already just got one parent. I felt a bit mental, rushing off to do this. I just thought it might be my last chance,” Louis confesses.

Niall looks into Louis’s eyes and feels the worry, feels the guilt and doubt that Louis must be feeling, and he wishes he could do something to make it better. “Well I know it wasn’t as you had planned, but I can promise you this: I won’t send you home because you’ve got a kid,” Niall says. “I can’t promise that I’d be a brilliant dad from the very start but if this does turn into something more, a kid doesn’t scare me.”

Louis is overwhelmed and doesn’t know what to say. Niall pushes his fringe out of his face again and leans in for a kiss. It’s soft and tender and takes Louis’s breath away. “I just want you to trust me while you’re here, okay? And I’ll show you that you can,” Niall whispers, the words getting lost on Louis’s lips. “Let your guard down and it’ll take some of the stress away, alright?”

Louis nods, stealing a kiss from Niall. His voice trembles just the slightest as he replies, “I’ll try.”

Their lips meet again, and they spend a few minutes kissing, gentle and romantic, Niall holding Louis around his waist and Louis melting into it, the tension in his shoulders disappearing by the second. They kiss until Louis’s lips are red and well-kissed and he’s looking almost like he could smile again. 

It’s at that moment that they’re told they need to go downstairs, that filming of the rose ceremony needs to start now if they’re going to get to bed by six am, so Niall takes Louis’s hand and they walk downstairs to the lounge where everyone is waiting again.

Niall stands in front of the group and has to take a sip of a drink before facing the fourteen remaining people. “I just want to thank you all for a really fun week in London. I enjoyed every minute with you guys and hope you had fun, too,” he says, addressing the group. “Now - let’s get on with this, yeah?”

Nobody sounds enthusiastic as they line up, and Niall reaches over to the pedestal to pick up the first rose. It’s amazing, how fast the mood can change in the room. One second it’s comfortable, everyone chatting and smiling and getting along, and now just moments later it’s tense and quiet and everyone looks ready to be sick.

Louis… Liam… Selena…

As the pile of roses next to him gets smaller and smaller, Niall’s heart starts to race faster and faster. It’s so hard for him, to see people this nervous, all because of him. But he knows who he’s made a connection with him, who sticks out in his mind, and he’s confident in his decisions this week.

Taylor… Jade… Harry…

Now there’s only one girl left, and three lads, and Niall feels like maybe he should have tried to keep it even. Except that wouldn’t be fair, not really, because he loves them all equally and besides, it won’t come out even, who’s got chemistry with him and who hasn’t. He can hear his pulse in his ears and it’s dizzying, the power he’s got over other people’s emotions right now.

Nick… Bressie… Barbara…

As he looks between Eoghan, Greg, and Ellie, Niall starts to feel doubt, starts to wonder if he really _is_ making the right decision. But he’d talked it over with the writers, and the producers, and this week’s elimination doesn’t matter all that much. It’s after this, when the group is narrowed down to twelve - half its original size - that it starts to matter.

“Eoghan.”

He’s not totally sure how he feels about Eoghan yet, because it’s all quite confusing, the things he feels for him, but there’s something there, at least. He feels something with Eoghan where he lacks anything with others. Ellie and Greg look a bit devastated, and they hug the rest, but they take the time to walk over to Niall and give him a hug goodbye, too. They show themselves out, and Niall tries his best to plaster on a smile as the remaining twelve, plus Niall, are each given a flute of champagne.

Right, he realizes. He’s got an announcement to make.

“Alright, before we go to bed for the night, I had something I want to say,” Niall says as everyone gathers around. He’s now got seven boyfriends and five girlfriends and it feels as overwhelming as ever. Now they get to add jet lag to it. “As much fun as I’ve had here in England, it’s time to go somewhere new. We will be flying to the very warm, very sunny Sydney, Australia!” He smiles, because he _loves_ Australia and really hopes everyone else will, too. “So, cheers to a great night, and to a great couple of weeks we’re going to have in Australia!”

The group toasts with him, and they get a little time away from the cameras to sip their champagne and say their goodnights. Niall gives Louis a big hug when Louis thanks him for keeping him on, and Niall gives him a kiss in return and tells Louis to say hi to his son for him. Louis blushes like mad but promises he will.

Nick meets Niall by the stairs after almost everyone’s gone to bed, and he takes that opportunity to slide a hand around Niall’s waist. “As cliche as this might be, coming from a gay man, I have to say I really like your suit tonight,” he smirks. “The tie is wonderful. Polka dots look good on you.”

Niall’s cheeks turn pink as he looks down, and he says, “Oh yeah. Nearly forgot about this one, honestly.”

“I love it,” Nick replies. “So I’ll see you in Australia then, huh?”

With a nod, Niall says, “Yeah. I really hope you like it.”

Nick leans in to steal a cheeky kiss from Niall. When he pulls away, he whispers, “If you’re there, I will.”

Niall bursts out laughing because, well, _cheesy_ , but it makes his night, ends it on a high note, and he gives Nick one last hug before they part ways, Niall to his private suite and Nick to the room he shares with Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_Next Week on The Bachelor_**  
>  Zayn doesn’t look away, though, and his eyes aren’t nearly as warm as they used to be, as they were on their one on one last week. “I just don’t understand why you’d even think this date was a good idea when you’re dating someone who can’t swim. It’s insensitive,” Zayn says. “I _told_ you I couldn’t swim. Shallow water isn’t going to change that. Especially since I dunno if you watched the film, but they consider twenty feet deep _shallow_. That’s not shallow. That’s deeper than a bloody pool.”
> 
> Zayn’s upset, clearly, and Niall’s just staring at him, frowning.
> 
> **
> 
> “It’s alright,” Nick says, and he pulls Niall against him, to hold him, to give him a bit of comfort. He doesn’t say another word.
> 
> Niall relaxes into Nick’s touch, resting his head upon his shoulder and just listening to him breathe, the waves crashing into the cliff below them. Niall’s got one hand dropped to Nick’s thigh, tracing little circles and shapes into it, until he observes, “You’re quiet tonight.”
> 
> “I just figured you needed some time,” Nick explains. He looks down and kisses the top of Niall’s head as he says, “It’s been a long day for you. You’ve had to be _on_ this whole time and it looks like it’s getting to you.”
> 
> “Australia isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, so far,” Niall mutters.
> 
> **
> 
> “Well, last week, you sort of mentioned that you’ve got a son,” Niall begins. That’s all the details he’d gotten, all he knew, but it was enough. “You seemed really worried. Mentioned that others haven’t wanted you because you’ve got a son.” Louis swallows hard, and when Niall takes his hands he can feel how clammy they are, how nervous Louis is.
> 
> Niall reaches out for the gift that’s been sitting on the table, wrapped in silver paper and topped with a blue bow. “I got you this,” he says, offering it to Louis. “To show you how much it means to me that you told me about him, even just a little bit. Hopefully with this you understand that I’m okay with it and that dating somebody with kids doesn’t scare me.”
> 
> **
> 
> Demi sighs, and she says, “It’s just that… a couple of the people here have been getting really cozy with each other. I don’t know what exactly is going on, but they’ve been sharing a bed and cuddled up on the sofa for days. They hug and I’ve even see him kiss her forehead and it’s just… I don’t know what’s going on but it seems so unfair to you.”
> 
> Niall frowns. He had no idea anything like that was going on - he’d forgotten it was even a possibility.
> 
> “Who is it?” he asks. Niall wants to talk to them, to figure out what’s going on and if this is even something they still want to do.
> 
> Demi looks like she’s about to say she can’t tell, but finally, after a very long pause, she says, “Taylor and Harry.”
> 
> **
> 
> Finally they’re ready to start filming, and Niall walks in. “It’s been a really great first week in Australia, and I hope you’ve all had an amazing time so far. I know I have,” he says. Niall looks around at everyone. “Tonight there will be eight more roses handed out. Ten of you will get to spend another week in Australia with me.” He takes a deep breath. “But first, I need to talk to a couple of you alone.” 
> 
> Niall pauses, lets the cameras get some good shots as he was instructed to do. People are in varying shades of shock and surprise, and when the whispers die down, Niall says, “Taylor, Harry, can I talk to you two for a minute?”


	4. Week Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your support so far! I promise you that this is going to be finished, even if we've got some drama on the horizon. Keep sending your feedback, I love reading it :)

The flight to Australia feels like it takes forever; Niall got to ride first class while the rest of the twelve remaining people rode coach. He understands the separation, the way the filming is supposed to be fair, with everyone getting the same amount of time with him. By the time they land, though, nobody seems to want to talk to anybody. After a twelve hour flight from London to Hong Kong followed by a ten hour flight from Hong Kong to Sydney, everyone is ready for bed.

They’re given time for it, too, when they arrive at their beachside resort where they’ll be staying for a couple of weeks. It’s fancy and right on the ocean and Niall can see the Sydney Opera House from his massive suite. He gave everyone hugs when they first landed, to make sure they were all doing alright, and then they all went to their own rooms to try to combat the jet lag.

It takes days, and after the writers and crew have sorted out their own jet lag and sleep schedule, it’s time to get back to filming. Nobody tells the remaining twelve how many dates there are that week, they just receive the first date card over dinner on a Wednesday night. 

Liam’s been chosen for a one on one date.

Louis had looked hopeful up until Barbara read the card out loud. Liam’s happy though, so Louis puts on his best face and pretends to be happy for him. Inside, though, he’s all torn up about it. Naturally the writers know - they probably orchestrated it - and pull him aside after dinner to do an interview.

“How do you feel about the first date?” he’s asked.

Louis shrugs and tries not to fidget. He gets told off for that a lot when they film interviews. “I mean, I’m a little disappointed,” he says. “But after last week I guess I’m not surprised. He knows I’m a dad now and he said it’s fine, but he could be having second thoughts. I wouldn’t blame him. I love my son but being a dad at this age isn’t for everyone, you know?”

“Do you want him to meet your son?” the interviewer continues.

“Of course one day it would be great for them to meet, if my relationship with Niall keeps on. I wouldn’t feel ready to do it right now, though. I never take anyone I date home to meet Freddie. Mostly it’s because they don’t _want_ to, but you know -,” Louis sighs. “It’s scary. It’s one thing for someone to leave _me_ , but it would be a completely different thing for them to get close to my son and then leave _him_. It’d break his heart.”

“What are you hoping for as the week goes on?”

“I guess I’m just going to cross my fingers and hope for a one on one,” Louis admits. “I feel like we left it in a bad place at the rose ceremony. There’s a lot that hasn’t been said yet about me, and he’s probably massively confused about Freddie, so I feel like I need to really take the time to sit down and explain it to him. And I think that can only happen on a one on one, where we won’t be interrupted.”

Louis is quiet the rest of the night, choosing to sit around with Eoghan and watch some football on the telly while Liam sorts through his closet with Selena and Taylor, trying to figure out what to wear. He’s been told to dress for the beach and to bring a bathing suit, but knows nothing more.

Harry sits down by Louis in one of the resort rooms, studying Louis quietly. “You doing alright?” he asks.

Louis takes a deep breath and says, “I guess so, yeah.”

“This is getting really real, already,” Harry offers. He holds out a bowl of popcorn to Louis, who studies Harry through narrowed eyes for a minute. They’ve barely said two words to each other this whole time. Now Harry’s trying to act like his friend or something. “I think you’ll be okay, though. You seem strong.”

“You don’t even know me,” Louis sighs.

Harry shrugs. “Least he looks at you still,” he says. “Ever since Gemma dumped him, Niall hasn’t been able to look me in the eye. It’s awful.”

Louis looks up at Harry, at his long, unruly hair and his plain black skinny jeans and his unbuttoned floral top. He looks the opposite of anyone Louis would ever speak to or associate with, yet here he is, conversing with him. “He’s just hurt because of the breakup. It’ll turn out well, in the end, I bet,” Louis tries.

“I hope you’re right,” Harry sighs.

He hands Louis a drink from the side table, provided by the crew of course, because alcohol intensifies all their emotions for the cameras, and Louis takes it, uttering a small thanks as he does.

The rest of the night fades into everyone going to sleep, and in the morning Liam wakes bright and early to comb back his hair just right, to put on a plain black v-neck shirt with some denim jeans cut off just around the knees, and go downstairs. It’s not fair, Louis thinks, how effortless it is for Liam to look so good, to dress up so nicely. He wishes him good luck as Liam’s leaving, though, and they watch the car pull away before collapsing back into bed.

Liam’s eyes are wide as he stares out the window at the streets and beaches of Sydney passing by outside. He’s never been out of the country, never mind halfway around the globe, and it’s amazing to him that this is his life now, that he’s really in Australia, dating Niall along with eleven other people, and about to have his first one on one date with him.

The car pulls up to a street nearest a big, beautiful sandy beach, and Liam grins. He just knows it’s going to be a good day, getting to spend all this time outside in Australia with Niall. He gets out and follows the camera crew down the hill to where Niall’s standing and waiting for him. Niall looks absolutely gorgeous in his khaki shorts and a white faded vest. He looks sort of like a frat boy and something about that does things to Liam that he can’t explain.

Niall smiles at him and pulls him into a hug. “Hi,” Liam says, positively beaming.

The sun is bright but it’s nothing compared to Niall’s smile, and they’re both standing there on the beach, kicking off their shoes and sliding on their sunglasses, giddy about this date. “So what are we doing today?” Liam asks curiously as they hand off their shoes to a crew member.

Niall holds out his hand, and Liam takes it with a big grin on his face. “Let’s walk,” Niall says, leading them down the beach.

It’s sunrise, and it’s beautiful, and Niall already feels like he’s hit the jackpot just getting to be in Australia. Being there with Liam and holding his hand and spending the day with him, though - it feels extra special. Like something he’s never going to forget.

“So how are things going?” Niall asks.

“Good,” Liam replies. “It’s amazing, being in Australia. I was so excited when I heard we were coming here.”

“Oh yeah?”

Niall looks over at Liam, squinting a little as he’s got the sun shining right in his face. “Yeah. Like, I’ve always wanted to come here, and to go surfing, and to just…” Liam shrugs. “I guess to just hang out. Be with someone.”

Niall puffs out his chest in pride and says, “I picked you for the right one on one then, didn’t I?”

Liam shrugs and replies, “Yeah, I guess so.”

Right there in the middle of the beach, Niall stops to tug at Liam’s hand, to pull him close. “Come here you big sap,” he laughs, and pulls Liam into a kiss. It’s nice, getting to be alone with Liam, to hold him and smile with him and to share something that he, too, thinks is so special. “You’re going to _love_ today.”

Liam wraps an arm around Niall’s waist and asks, “I will?”

“Yeah,” Niall repeats, his nose bumping Liam’s. “You will.”

They kiss again, slower this time, more romantic. The sun is rising behind them, the tide is washing over their ankles, and the beach is nearly empty. Niall pulls away and smiles at Liam as he says, “D’you want to see why?”

Liam just laughs and says, “Of course.”

Niall reaches down for Liam’s hand again, and he leads him up a set of stairs to a building near the beach. They’ve just opened for the day, and as soon as Liam realizes what it is, he shouts, “Are you serious?”

They’re at a surfing shack, and Niall’s about to take Liam out surfing on the ocean for the day. “Yes,” Niall grins. “I had no idea you wanted to do it _this_ badly, but I’m really excited.”

Liam slings his arm around Niall’s shoulders and kisses his forehead as they approach. There are people there waiting for them, along with boards and suits and someone to teach them. It feels surreal for both of them, who wanted to do this so badly, that they’re about to learn how to surf and give it a try. 

They get lessons, of course, and Liam takes to it much faster than Niall does. He’s got balance, and he’s strong, and Niall thinks it’s a bit of a conspiracy, that Liam is so good on his first try. Niall keeps falling into the ocean so much that their instructor tells him, “You know, surfing means actually being _on_ the board.”

Liam laughs, bright and loud, his eyes crinkled so much it looks like he’s closed them. He’s having the time of his life, and really, that’s all Niall could have ever asked for. They surf for hours, the instructor eventually leaving to let the two of them try it on their own, until Niall’s soaked and exhausted and Liam’s saying he’s hungry.

They walk to shore, surfboards under one arm, their wetsuits still dripping and shiny, and Liam can’t help but blurt out, “You look really good like this.”

Niall looks over at Liam, bemused and a bit baffled, and asks, “I look good when I’m soaking wet after making a fool of myself while surfing?”

“I mean like -,” Liam begins, and he looks like he’s struggling a bit for words. “When your hair’s wet, it doesn’t look so blonde. I like it dark. It suits you.” He looks fond as he says, “And your nose is a bit red from the sun, and you’re really fit even in an awkward surf suit. Way better than me.”

“Yeah, only difference is, when you take that off you’re going to have amazing abs and your arms’ll look fantastic whereas I’ll look like a string bean,” Niall laughs.

It’s at that moment that they reach the surf shack and Liam says, “I guess we’ll find out, yeah?”

They go in to change, and even though they’re wearing what they were before, it feels like something new, and Liam combs his hair out of his face with his fingers, water dripping down them. 

They go to a beachside restaurant, something with a private patio set up just for the two of them, and even in the shade they’re breaking a sweat. “God it’s so hot out today,” Niall grumbles.

Liam laughs and says, “Let’s just sunbathe after this. Try to cool off.”

Niall thinks it would be fun to swim again, thinks that might be on the agenda, actually. It would explain why he chose Liam for this date. He hadn’t known Liam had always wanted to learn to surf, but if he’d seen swimming on the list of things they’re doing on the date, Liam would have been his first choice. It’s not new information to anyone that Liam’s got the best body out of everyone on the show.

They eat their delicious grilled lunches and then go back out to the beach where they swim, flirt, and kiss while out in the ocean. Niall’s gaze always seems to drift to Liam’s arms and his abs, and when Liam realizes, he gets all shy and blushy. The cameras get a really good shot of Liam and Niall in the sunset, Niall up on Liam’s back getting a piggy back ride into the ocean, and Niall couldn’t be happier. “Today’s been amazing,” Liam says to Niall, sharing their own private moment where the cameras can’t even hear.

“Most relaxing day ever,” Niall replies. He leans down to kiss Liam’s temple. He likes this, being carried around by Liam. Something about it makes Niall’s whole body thrum with excitement.

When the sun’s mostly gone behind the horizon, they go back up to the beach to dry off and put on some nice dress clothes for their dinner. This routine of getting dressed up for the end of the date feels exhausting for Niall; he doesn’t know how on earth the women do it, make themselves look so stunning in such a short amount of time.

Liam looks fantastic in a navy blue suit with his hair combed back and a flashy watch on his wrist. He’s already looking tanned from the sun, and Niall gives him a big hug as soon as he sees him. Niall’s cheeks and nose are pink because he’s not really someone who tans right away; his skin has to burn first. He’s wearing a black suit with a light blue pocket square and he closes his eyes and melts as Liam greets him with a kiss.

“Did you have a good time today?” Niall asks as they sit down at the table. He takes a sip of his beer and Liam’s nursing a mojito as they chat.

“It was amazing,” Liam says, and he sounds it, too. “It’s not like anything I’m used to doing back home.”

Niall likes that about Liam, how expressive he is, how he doesn’t hold anything back. He’s easy to read and he means what he says and Niall appreciates it, being able to know that he’s being one hundred percent genuine with him all the time.

“So what _do_ you and your friends do back home?” Niall wonders.

Liam’s smile drops a bit at that, and he reaches over for his drink. He takes a big gulp of it before he says, “Well… it’s just me and my friend Andy, really.”

Niall looks confused, drops his arm around the back of Liam’s chair as support, and waits until Liam feels ready to continue.

“Growing up I wasn’t really all that cool, is all,” Liam shrugs. “Like, I didn’t know many people because when I was a kid and everyone was making friends, I was in hospital. I had a bad kidney - it’s working now but it took most of my childhood to sort it out.” He sets down his drink and stirs it, the ice clinking a nice noise to fill the silence. “Andy stuck by me but everyone else, they’d say hello and then not show up for my birthday or whatever. So I don’t really _do_ a lot back home.”

Niall’s frowning, looking sympathetically at Liam, and then says, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s alright,” Liam replies. “Andy’s basically the greatest friend in the world. We go out to pubs and he’s tried to set me up with people sometimes, when we do go out, but it never really works.”

“Have you dated anyone before?” Niall wonders.

Liam shrugs. “Just Sophia.”

Niall feels intrusive, asking so many questions, but he’s curious. He wants to know more about Liam, about what he’s been through and what his dating experiences have been up to this point. “Tell me about that,” Niall prompts.

“Well, there’s not much to tell,” Liam says. “We met when we were young, but didn’t date until I was nineteen. When I’d started to like, work out and take boxing lessons seriously and stuff,” he explains. “Andy jokes that she didn’t date me until I got hot. He’s probably right. It was fine, she was really great and we spent a lot of time together, to the point that after a couple years I started wondering if maybe it was time to propose.”

Niall rubs his hand up and down Liam’s back, listening intently. He doesn’t know what to make of all this backstory yet, or what to do with the nagging thoughts in his mind that maybe Liam’s not over this ex-girlfriend - or ex-fiancee? - and that this is all just a rebound thing.

“Andy said I should, but before we could even go shop for rings, Sophia called it off. She got a big job in London and I was happy as a fireman in Wolverhampton. Still am, actually,” Liam says. “So we broke up, and we tried keeping in touch, but that only lasted about a month.”

“When did all this happen?” Niall asks.

Liam looks up, meeting Niall’s eyes for the first time since his story started, and very honestly and shyly he says, “We broke up about six months ago.”

Niall nods, and he doesn’t want to worry. Liam looks worried enough for the both of them, and besides, he trusts him. If Liam feels ready to get back out there and date and settle down, then this is fine. It’s the right place for him to be. “I’m sorry to hear things weren’t always easy,” Niall offers. “And that she broke your heart.”

“It’s alright,” Liam says, shrugging it off like it’s nothing. He’s gotten used to it, shrugging off disappointment. It’s how he copes with so much of it. “I’m okay. I’m here, and I’m totally open to whatever happens, and… I’m like _really_ attracted to you.”

“So you’ve never dated a man before?” Niall can’t help but ask.

Liam’s cheeks turn pink and he says, “No, but I’ve always wanted to. Just haven’t met any out people where I live.”

Niall feels like he already holds a very special place in Liam’s life, now and forever, because his first dates, first kisses with a man were all with Niall - on reality television. “Is it all that you’d hoped for?” Niall wonders.

Liam smiles again, fondness back in his eyes as he fixes them on Niall, and he nods. “Yeah. Better, really,” he admits.

“Good,” Niall grins, and he leans in to steal a soft kiss.

Liam presses into it, sighing happily as he loses himself to the moment. Being there with Niall feels right, like it’s where he was meant to be, and Niall’s whole mind goes blank when he’s kissing Liam. All he can focus on is the feeling of Liam’s scruff against his cheek, against his nose, and the way Liam is so gentle with him. 

When they pull away for air, Liam’s smiling at Niall, who looks just as happy. Niall reaches across the table for the rose and when he turns back to Liam, he says, “I don’t even think I could list all the reasons I want to give you this rose right now. Today’s been amazing, and I’m so glad you trust me enough to open up to me about your past. I’d really like to see where this goes, so Liam, will you accept this rose?”

“That rhymed,” Liam says, giggling - actually _giggling_ \- as he says it.

Niall snorts with laughter, and Liam takes the rose from him, saying, “Thank you.”

They kiss again, still laughing into each other’s mouths, and it feels like the perfect end to a date.

*

Louis is in far better spirits the next morning as he and Liam sip tea whilst everyone else rushes around to get the last of their things ready. He’s gotten a one on one this week.

There are bags with their clothes for the evening, and makeup and hairbrushes and everything else they’ll need to get ready for the cocktail party somewhere other than the resort. They’ve got bathing suits packed like the writers told them to do, and Zayn stands back with Liam and Louis looking terrified.

“Y’alright?” Louis asks sleepily, noticing that Zayn looks the least enthusiastic about this date out of everyone.

Zayn shrugs. “I can’t swim. We’re supposed to bring bathing suits,” he says, like it’s enough of an explanation.

Liam frowns and Louis wrestles with a smile because, well, in the end it’s about being the last person standing. If someone can’t participate on the group date, it bodes well for everyone else. “It’ll be fine,” he offers. “Just stay on shore.”

Niall walks in then, so Zayn can’t argue and Liam can’t offer something more substantial. Niall’s smiling and looking so lovely in a white shirt and some navy blue shorts, and he’s still got his sunglasses on. “Christ he looks good,” Zayn mumbles before leaving the room.

Liam and Louis turn back to their tea, leaving the rest of them to have their date with Niall. There’s ten of them this time, a far more manageable number than on group dates in the past. Everyone’s dressed ready for the beach, just like the’d been instructed, and they get to take a private coach bus to where they’re going, so they can all ride together. They’re sipping mimosas for the drive, and thirty minutes later they’re arriving at Camp Cove.

“So, one of the things I’ve always wanted to do is travel, and there are two major things on my bucket list for Australia: surfing and scuba diving. I surfed with Liam yesterday, so guess what we’re doing today?” he says with a smile.

Most everyone cheers, and Zayn stands at the side looking nervous. He swears he told Niall he can’t swim. He _swears_.

They’re then brought into a little shack on the beach, with some tables and a video projector, and it’s time to train to do the scuba dive. On the walk, Niall pulls Zayn aside and says, “I made sure we were doing a shallow dive. You’ll have air, and a wetsuit, and you can see the surface and stand up anytime you need. We’re looking at some reefs and stuff.”

“I dunno if I can do that,” Zayn says softly.

He hates being so vulnerable, feels so exposed, and he’s not really comfortable with it. “Nobody will make you,” Niall offers. “When they suggested this as a date though, I made sure to ask for shallow water, just in case.”

Zayn frowns, but nods and says, “Thanks.”

He still doesn’t know if he wants to. Zayn pays attention along with everyone else during the presentation, and then the demonstrations, and he even goes so far as to pick out a wetsuit. They all get changed, including Niall, and pick up flippers and a scuba pack for when they get to the reef. Zayn’s going along with it so far, which impresses Niall like mad, but he’s not going to dump him just because he’s not comfortable with diving.

A private path leads them to a smaller cove, one completely closed off just for the eleven of them plus the instructor and crew. They’re talked through how to gear up, and Zayn’s standing at the edge of the beach, the surf washing up over his feet and ankles, and Niall walks towards him, to see how he’s doing. “Alright?” he asks.

Zayn looks pale, though, and doesn’t answer right away. “I… sure,” he says, sounding uneasy.

“You don’t have to, if you’re not comfortable with it,” Niall offers. “I’m not going to be upset.”

Zayn feels like he’s got to, though, because everyone else will and if he doesn’t, it could put him in a dangerous place before the rose ceremony. There’s the sound of a splash, and as they look up they see Barbara disappearing under the water. It makes Niall smile, and he says to Zayn one more time, “Don’t worry if you can’t, alright?” before walking over to watch Barbara and a few others dive in.

It’s hard for him, to leave Zayn’s side to watch everyone else, but he’s told Zayn the situation, and he really does feel bad, but the writers insisted this was what they had to do. It’ll make for good TV or something. Niall gets it, but he’s also feeling so, so guilty for leaving Zayn back up on shore. Nick’s at Zayn’s side, talking to him and patting his back, and Niall hopes he’s being a help rather than a hindrance.

He’s not a fan of group dates, really, but there’s no way around it. Niall’s just got to keep pressing on and trying to give a little bit of his time to everyone.

Taylor asks Niall if he’ll go in the water with her, and he agrees, pulling his goggles down over his eyes and putting the regulator in his mouth. They slowly go into the water and start to peer around, and she’s holding his hand - squeezing it more like - as the reef comes into view in front of them. Her eyes are dancing, sparkling, and if she could she’d be smiling, Niall’s sure. It’s amazing, being down here, seeing his other boyfriends and girlfriends exploring the reef.

Part of him wishes Zayn could join them, too.

He swims around for a while, admiring the different colours in the sparkling blue water, until he realizes Nick and Zayn are both gone, that everyone is swimming but the two of them. Niall tries his best to sneak away, and when he gets back up on shore he sees Zayn and Niall sitting on some rocks, talking. Zayn’s out of his scuba gear entirely, his hair a mess as his fingers comb through it occasionally as he talks. 

Nick notices Niall first, and he nods to him, gesturing to Zayn that they’re not alone. “Everything alright?” he asks softly. He’s still dripping water and he’s wearing a lot more clothes than Zayn, but he needs to talk to him now, he can’t wait until he’s changed and dried off. 

“I’m going to go have a dive now, alright?” Nick says, his voice gentle, and Niall realizes that Nick had hung back to talk to Zayn so he wouldn’t be all alone.

Niall sets down his pack and pulls off his flippers as he sits down where Nick had been, still dripping wet. “What’s on your mind?” Niall asks.

Zayn looks like he’s trying to be tough, his eyes harder than Niall’s ever seen them, and he says, “Nothing. Just don’t think I’m going to scuba today.”

Frowning, Niall says, “It’s alright. You don’t have to, like I said.” He doesn’t understand why Zayn’s putting his walls up, why he’s acting so tough, walking the line between honest and mean.

“I know,” Zayn nods.

He doesn’t look away, though, and his eyes aren’t nearly as warm as they used to be, as they were on their one on one last week. “I just don’t understand why you’d even think this date was a good idea when you’re dating someone who can’t swim. It’s insensitive,” Zayn says. “I _told_ you I couldn’t swim. Shallow water isn’t going to change that. Especially since I dunno if you watched the film, but they consider twenty feet deep _shallow_. That’s not shallow. That’s deeper than a bloody pool.”

Zayn’s upset, clearly, and Niall’s just staring at him, frowning. “I tried,” Niall offers. “I really tried, but they’d already made the arrangements and we couldn’t cancel, not when they set aside a whole area of beach just for us, and…”

Production makes it so complicated, especially because they want good television and drama among what has been essentially, so far, a very non-dramatic cast. “I’m sorry,” Niall says finally, when he has to look away because the hurt and anger in Zayn’s eyes is more than he can handle. “What can I do?”

“Nothing really you can do, is there?” Zayn says. His voice isn’t as harsh this time, but it’s certainly filled with sadness. It’s more than Niall can take, and he reaches over for Zayn’s hand. Zayn lets him take it, their fingers lacing together, Zayn’s grip not as tight as Niall’s.

“I’m sorry,” Niall repeats. “I want to make this up to you.”

Zayn shrugs. “I’ll be fine. You should go swim with them again. They’ll be missing you,” he says.

Niall feels so torn, so lost, and he doesn’t really know where to go from here. He’s angry at the writers, at the crew, for not letting him change the date so Zayn wouldn’t feel this way, and he’s angry that Zayn’s taking it so personally, not even trying to see it from Niall’s point of view. And worst of all, Niall feels guilty because there are nine people out there in the reef, swimming around and wondering when he’s coming back, hoping to get to spend some time with him, and all he wants to do is call it a day and go brood in his room.

He can’t, though, and ends up swimming for a little longer after pressure from the crew, who wants more footage of him swimming. So he does, and Zayn sits on shore looking annoyed, and everyone else underwater is oblivious to the whole situation.

Once it’s half twelve and it’s time to part ways, to go have lunch and get ready for a cocktail party somewhere new, the tension becomes apparent and everyone starts asking questions, wondering what’s going on with Niall and Zayn. Nick doesn’t indulge them, lets them sit and question it until Niall or Zayn open up about it, and he doesn’t even look the slightest bit bothered that he’s in the middle of it all.

Zayn gets ready for the cocktail party with Nick, because he trusts him, and he appreciates that he’ll keep a secret when he needs to. Harry joins them as well, because he’s the only one who hasn’t acted differently, hasn’t asked Zayn or Nick what’s going on. He just smiles and treats everyone with kindness and offers to help Zayn get his hair looking just right.

There’s a lot of tension as everyone walks to the bus to get to the cocktail party. First of all, Niall isn’t there. He’s been brought to the next destination already. The sun is barely setting, but they’ve got to film the cocktail party early, because they couldn’t get special permission to film all night. Instead, it’s a short date before a long, lengthy cocktail party.

Niall’s waiting for them up on a cliff, standing in front of a tall, magnificent white and red lighthouse. The view is absolutely breathtaking - not just Niall in his suit but also the cliff they’re on, and the ocean splashing out at the bottom of the rocks, and the way the ocean spreads out for as far as they can see, the sun beginning to set already. 

He smiles, holds his arms out, and they’re used to this greeting, to being able to walk up to Niall and put their arms around him, to give him a big hug and greet him right away. Everyone gets a turn, though Zayn hovers at the back, and when he hugs Niall it lasts a little longer than everyone else’s, like he’s issuing an apology or something.

Right away they’re each offered a drink, and Niall makes the toast, “To a night of beautiful views and great conversation.”

It’s cheesy, it’s scripted, but it’s not really the part that people on telly care about, in the end. Rather, it’s the one on one moments, and the drama that happens while Niall is away that will make the difference to the viewers. Zayn’s stayed at Niall’s side, and Niall desperately wants to talk to him, so as soon as the toast finishes, he asks, “Zayn, can I steal you away?”

Right away Zayn nods, thankful that Niall spoke up. He feels weird, being the first to reach out to Niall and try to steal him, and Niall specifically wanting to talk to him is a good thing. He gets a chance to apologize, to explain to Niall how he’d been feeling, and he just has to hope that Niall’s stealing him away for that very reason, instead of to break up with him.

They go into the lighthouse and sit on a bench there, the sound of the waves washing up on the rocks the only sound in the building. Zayn’s quiet as they sit down and each take another sip of their drink, and he speaks up before Niall can say a word. 

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

Niall watches Zayn, sees the frustration in his eyes, the worry that he feels, and stays quiet as he waits for Zayn to say more. “I was really freaked out, is all. Really scared. I wanted to try, but every time I thought about being underwater even just six feet of it, I was starting to panic.” He takes a deep breath and reaches over for Niall’s hand. Niall holds it, the anchor Zayn needs to get the rest of his thoughts out. 

“I appreciate that you tried to make it better, though,” he says softly. “I didn’t give you enough credit for that this afternoon. I just kept worrying and got into this really bad place, mentally, and then took it out on you. I shouldn’t have done that. So… I’m sorry, Niall. Really sorry.”

He looks it, too. There’s remorse in his eyes, and fear and sadness too, and there’s so much for him to take in that it feels overwhelming for Niall, that Zayn could feel this much all at once. “Thank you,” he replies. He glances down at their hands where they’re connected, and then back up at Zayn. “I appreciate you saying that. I never meant to make you feel so uncomfortable, honestly. I didn’t know how deep this went, that you couldn’t swim _and_ you were fearful of it. So I’m sorry, too.”

Zayn nods, and he looks visibly relaxed compared to before, and Niall leans in to gently kiss him, hand cupping his jaw. It’s soft and sweet and it steals Zayn’s breath away. Happily Zayn leans into it, parting his lips, kissing Niall deeper, trusting him with more, trusting that he won’t get hurt if he lets himself be vulnerable again.

There’s a knock at the lighthouse door and Niall slowly pulls away. He swallows hard, and Zayn licks his lips, and they know someone’s about to walk in on them. “See you soon,” Zayn says, standing. Niall stands too, to give him a hug, and they part ways as Barbara walks into the room.

Barbara’s incredibly sweet, Niall thinks. Sometimes he has trouble understanding her, with her Hungarian accent, but she’s bright and bubbly and so incredibly smart considering she models. Someone in that industry must be, he guesses, because they’ve got to know when someone’s real versus when someone’s trying to take advantage. Sometimes he hates stereotypes he’s been taught.

“I loved scuba diving,” she says, holding one of his hands in both of hers. She looks like a bombshell yet again, this time in a long, flowy white dress, something strapless with a colourful belt, and big colourful earrings. She’s gorgeous, her tan skin a lovely comparison to the white dress, and Niall could see himself dating her for longer, wanting to get to know her more, because she’s so complex behind such a stunning exterior.

“I’m glad,” he replies, smiling.

Barbara tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I’ve always wanted to learn, because I love swimming and being in the water. Especially when I don’t have to wear a bikini and have my photo taken to do it,” she jokes. “It’s been on my bucket list and now I can cross it off. Thank you.”

“Of course,” says Niall, and he feels so much happier just being around Barbara and hearing how happy she is, how excited she gets about some of the same things he does. 

Suddenly she goes shy, though, when Niall wraps an arm around her shoulders. “Could I kiss you?” she asks, her voice soft. She sounds like she’s genuinely nervous that Niall will say no.

“Of course,” Niall says with a smile, and he leans in, Barbara tipping her chin up so their lips can meet.

It’s sweet, and she’s got a sultry twist to the way she kisses, her teeth just grazing his lower lip as he pulls away, her mouth looking pink and pouty as soon as she pulls away even from the tenderest of kisses. She’s smiling, and Niall can’t help but smile too, and she seems far more at ease, like the kiss validated that there’s something there, that maybe she’s staying another week.

Niall asks her what else is on her bucket list and she gets two things in before there’s a knock on the door again, and Eoghan is walking in. “Could I steal Niall?” he asks.

Barbara is sweet and polite, giving Niall one last peck on the cheek before leaving Niall and Eoghan to it. Eoghan’s staying in the doorway, and he holds out his hand. “Let’s go this way,” he suggests.

Niall’s intrigued, so he stands and crosses the lighthouse quickly, taking Eoghan’s hand once he’s within reach. They walk outside, to the edge of the cliff, and sit down on a bench made of rocks there. Niall smiles and wonders if Eoghan had scoped it out especially for them. 

“Reminds me of Ireland, this cliff here,” Eoghan says, pleased. He glances over at Niall to catch his reaction.

Niall’s smile crosses his face quickly, and he likes the memories of Ireland, likes knowing he can share that with Eoghan. “Yeah, though the ocean’s a bit strange,” he laughs. “I think I like the grassy fields more.”

“You and me both,” Eoghan replies.

He’s still holding Niall’s hand, and he brings it to his lap, scooting closer to Niall so they’re sitting thigh to thigh. “I’ve been thinking about you,” Eoghan admits softly. “It’s been too long since we sat and had a good chat.”

“Yeah,” Niall nods. “It’s been a few weeks, hasn’t it?”

Eoghan nods in agreement and says, “Aye. Was worried that last week you were going to be sending me home.”

The admission makes Niall blanche, because he’d been considering it. “Well, you’re here now, so let’s make the best of it, yeah?” Niall suggests. He doesn’t want to think about it, how he could’ve very well hurt Eoghan so much if he’d sent him home like he was thinking about last week.

“Yeah, let’s,” Eoghan agrees, and he leans in for a kiss.

Niall closes his eyes and gives himself to the kiss totally and completely, but he can’t help realizing the way he feels - or doesn’t feel. There’s no spark like there is with the others, no prospect of this becoming something more. Niall wants desperately to feel something for Eoghan, because he’s Irish and that means _so much_ to Niall, but he’s not necessarily going to fall for an Irish man or woman. He can’t base his decision on that. He presses into the kiss again, with more fervor this time, and Eoghan reaches an arm around Niall’s shoulders.

In the end, it’s Eoghan who pulls away, and he studies Niall for a minute looking a little confused before he says, “It’s weird, isn’t it?”

“W-what’s weird?” Niall says, sounding a bit nervous.

Eoghan laughs and lowers his arm from where he’d been holding Niall. “Kissing. It’s weird. Not how it should be,” he says. 

He sounds surprised by it, caught off guard at the sudden realization, and Niall’s nerves get the better of him. He fumbles with the hem of his shirt, his other hand still holding Eoghan’s, as he nods and says, “Yeah. I thought it was just me.”

“Were you going to say something?”

Niall looks across at Eoghan, who’s watching him so earnestly, so honestly, that Niall nods and says, “Yeah. At the rose ceremony, probably.”

Eoghan looks nervous, and then after a few moments leans in for a kiss. One last kiss, one final test. It’s no different, though, and it’s weirder almost. Like Niall’s kissing a friend instead of a boyfriend. When they pull away, they just know, and Eoghan stands up.

Niall follows, and hugs him, and he can vaguely register that the others are watching from down the path. “I’ll just gather my things, yeah?” Eoghan offers.

That puts a frown on Niall’s face, and this is the second time in as many weeks that he’s ended up losing somebody because they didn’t have the chemistry - they weren’t right for each other. They were better off as friends. “Let’s get in touch, when this is all over,” Niall offers. “Need some more Irish people to hang out with, especially if I end up in London like you have.”

Eoghan smiles a little, but looks a bit sad, and nods. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

“I’ll have my people call your people,” Niall jokes.

With one last wave, Eoghan says goodbye to Niall and leaves him standing out there on the cliff, watching him walk away. He sees the others whispering further up the path where they’re seated at some benches, trying to figure out what’s going, and clearly Eoghan’s explaining it because they’re all so focused on him that nobody is trying to get their one on one time with Niall.

After about a minute, Niall decides to just sit down on the bench, to take a breath and count to ten, because it’s been a long day. He’s said goodbye to Eoghan. He’s had a little bit of a fight with Zayn. He needs a few moments on his own to sort through his thoughts and emotions. It’s difficult for him, trying to cope with all these feelings with nobody but the crew to talk to.

“Alright there, love?”

Niall looks up and there’s Nick, hands in the pockets of his trousers, watching Niall with slight concern on his face. Niall sighs. “Yeah, just… thinking,” he says.

Nick sits down next to Niall and has his arm around his shoulders right away. “Rough night?” he asks.

Niall just snorts.

“It’s alright,” Nick says, and he pulls Niall against him, to hold him, to give him a bit of comfort. He doesn’t say another word.

Niall relaxes into Nick’s touch, resting his head upon his shoulder and just listening to him breathe, the waves crashing into the cliff below them. Niall’s got one hand dropped to Nick’s thigh, tracing little circles and shapes into it, until he observes, “You’re quiet tonight.”

“I just figured you needed some time,” Nick explains. He looks down and kisses the top of Niall’s head as he says, “It’s been a long day for you. You’ve had to be _on_ this whole time and it looks like it’s getting to you.”

“Australia isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, so far,” Niall mutters.

Nick coos, something a bit sad and sympathetic, and pulls Niall just a bit closer. “Have a few more moments of silence with me, then. No expectations, nothing. Just relax, yeah? Have a breather,” Nick says.

And god, it’s the best two minutes of the day, Niall thinks, because until someone comes up and tells them to get on with the rose ceremony so they can leave, he just sits there against Nick, relaxing into the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes, the steady rhythm of his heart beneath Niall’s ear. He’s beyond grateful for these few minutes of silence, and that Nick picked up on the fact that he’d needed them in the first place.

They stand up when they’re told, and when they reach the rest of the group everyone is watching expectantly. A few look disappointed; they must have been told that the time is up for the group date cocktail party.

“Alright,” Niall begins. He takes a deep breath, and he’s not smiling. “It’s been a difficult day for some of us, but we’ve made it to the end. As you can see, Eoghan’s gone home. The chemistry he and I had wasn’t anything romantic, and we both agreed that he should bow out now before this gets even more serious. That being said, there’s still a rose to be given out tonight.”

Niall adjusts his blazer and takes another deep breath as he holds the rose that had been sitting on a pedestal throughout the entire cocktail party, right next to the benches. He looks down at it and picks at a little stub where a thorn must have been. Niall glances around at everyone and feels torn, right up until the very last moment.

But someone there has been more selfless, more understanding than anyone else, and Niall wants to acknowledge them. He wants them to know how much to means to him, that they’d be so compassionate.

“Nick.”

That seems to take a few people by surprise, least of all Nick, and he stands up to accept the rose with shock on his face.

“Will you accept this rose?” Niall asks as Nick steps up to him, stands toe to toe with him and smiles down at him.

“I’d love to,” he says happily, and leans in for a soft kiss before taking the rose and going back to the bench.

Niall looks around at everyone and sees the disappointment on their faces, especially Zayn’s, and is ready to go back to his room and call it a night. It hasn’t exactly been the greatest day in the world, and Niall would like to sleep off this residual guilt and disappointment he feels, though it’s only going to get worse as time goes on.

They all say goodbye and Niall puts on a kind face for that, but he slumps in his seat as soon as he gets in the cab, and he’s quiet the whole way back to his room.

After a full night of sleep, Niall feels refreshed, and he's excited for his one on one date with Louis as he gathers his things - including a wrapped gift for Louis. When he gets to the resort suite where Louis is waiting for him, Niall only feels excitement, no more sadness, and he's ready for the day to begin.

The lads are all sharing the suite, and Liam is still messing with Louis's hair when Niall is let in by Nick. “Ready to go?” he asks as he approaches Louis.

“Almost,” Louis replies, and Niall watches as he takes a deep breath, like he's bracing himself for something.

Louis holds out his hand when he's ready, and Niall leads him out the door. “So it's going to be a long day, I hope that's okay,” Niall warns.

“I can handle it,” Louis replies with a smirk.

They walk to the car and they're driven through the streets of Sydney to Port Jackson, where they'll be boarding a boat. It's bright and sunny - as it always seems to be in Australia - and Niall's glad he only wore a vest and some khakis. Louis is wearing full length skinny jeans he’ll undoubtedly have to peel off later, with how sweaty he'll get. 

Niall leads Louis up to a pier and there’s a boat with some camera crew waiting alright, and Louis looks around, trying to sort out what’s happening. “So first, we’re going whale watching,” Niall says.

Louis laughs and asks, “Whale watching?”

“It’s something people do here,” Niall says with a shrug. “Thought it might be fun. Plus we can be alone and nobody else can bother us.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Louis says with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

They board the boat and there’s somebody there to guide them through it, showing them what to look for, what to listen for. Niall’s not so sure they’ll actually _see_ whales, because they’re so close to land, but then again most of his knowledge of Australia came from _Finding Nemo_ so he’s certainly no expert.

Louis sits by Niall, leaning against the railing of the boat, as they head out to sea, the land remaining a tiny strip on the horizon, nothing but ocean spreading out on the other side of them. “It’s a bit scary, innit?” Louis says, staring out at the massive expanse of blue, the reminder that they’re really just small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. “We could sink right now and nobody would know.”

Niall laughs and points to a boat nearby, “Aside from that being the coast guard, you’re probably right.” He reaches over to put his hand on Louis’s thigh, and he rubs his thumb gently as he says, “I know what you meant, though. It’s like - I feel really small compared to everything else when I’m out here. Who knows how deep this water is, or if there are whales nearby, or if we’re disrupting the little fish beneath us.”

Louis leans his head on Niall’s shoulder and smiles fondly as he says, “I’m sure the little fish are fine.”

He rests his hand on top of Niall’s where it still rests firmly, comfortingly on his thigh. Louis feels so relaxed he doesn’t even need to see a whale. The sound of nothing but the ocean surrounding them is nice; it’s better than the sound of all the other contestants, of the crying, or the banging around in the kitchen to find something good to eat. Living with a dozen other people has been grating for Louis and this is exactly what he’d needed to relax. He still misses Freddie like mad, but feeling so content, so happy with Niall, makes Louis feel like maybe it’s all going to be worth it.

They sit on the boat all the way until lunch, spotting a few whales out in the distance. For the most part, it’s an unusually quiet whale watching trip, though, and the company apologizes profusely as Louis and Niall get off the boat back at the pier where they’d started. After that, the two of them have lunch at an oceanfront grille and Louis tells Niall all about Doncaster, the place he’s from.

He explains that it’s sort of a small town, and he’s close to all of his family which is great. Louis goes into great detail about all his siblings, about his mum, and tells Niall about his job, too. “I’m trained to be a primary school teacher,” he explains. “But lately I’ve just been helping me mum around the house with stuff. I’m trying to find work, but it’s hard. Everyone in Doncaster and the area loves their job. So like, there are no vacancies in the field. I’ve got to move, really.”

Niall can’t help but smile at that, not because Louis is having trouble finding work but because he likes when they’ve got that compatibility: Niall doesn’t really want to leave Ireland, and Louis has no job tying him to Doncaster. Sure, Louis would miss his family, of that Niall’s sure, but if he could find work in this field he sounds so excited about, maybe it would be worth it.

Assuming they even get that far.

Once they’re finished eating lunch, Niall takes Louis’s hand and leads him to the car waiting for them outside. “Now, this next part I chose especially for you,” Niall explains on the drive there. He’s holding Louis’s hand and their knees bump as the car goes over bumps in the road from the way they’re sitting leaned in towards each other.

“Oh?”

Louis looks over at Niall, their noses bumping. He feels more relaxed around Niall already, though he’s constantly got the worry in the back of his head that being a dad complicates things, that it could drive Niall far, far away in the end. 

“Yeah,” Niall nods. “You’ve seemed really stressed and like this whole process was really getting to you, so I wanted to treat you.”

The car pulls up outside a very modern looking building, something with angles and dark stone and a waterfall along one exterior wall. “We’re getting spa treatment. You and me, four hours, nothing but relaxation,” Niall says. Louis just stares for a minute, looking very surprised.

Louis laughs dryly and says, “I don’t think I’ve relaxed in almost two years. At least not since before Freddie.”

“Well, see?” Niall says as he leads Louis inside. “You deserve it. I’m sure you’re an amazing dad, and dads deserve to get pampered, too.”

They’re greeted right away, and it’s the most amazing four hours Louis has ever had. They’re together the whole time and can chat if they want, but the body wraps and the massage and the footwash and pedicure all have Louis feeling like he’s on cloud nine, so relaxed he can’t even form words. Niall enjoys himself, too, but the real treat is glancing over and seeing Louis looking more refreshed and relaxed than he’s ever seen him before.

He tries not to laugh too much when Louis makes fun of the face mask, about how dumb it looks on Niall, even though Louis is wearing the same one. It hurts to laugh, because the mask hardened. Niall tries to reach over to swat at Louis, but Louis just catches his hand instead, and their fingers thread together as they sit there for the last bit of the treatment, masks working wonders on their faces and a person at each of their feet, finishing off the pedicures. 

“This isn’t weird, right?” Louis asks the woman who’s buffing up his feet to make them nice and smooth. “Men get pedicures all the time?”

“Yeah, they do,” she reassures him.

Niall’s chuckling at Louis’s side, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand. “Calm down. It’s just a pedicure,” Niall says.

Louis rolls his eyes and asks, “So if we get married, does this mean all our money is going to go to your pedicures?”

“Yes, all of it,” Niall jokes.

“Awesome,” Louis replies. He likes that Niall is willing to go along with all his jokes.

They sit a little longer, and by the time they leave the spa, the sun is setting in the sky and it’s time to get ready for their dinner together, where Louis will find out if Niall’s going to give him a rose or send him home.

The whole time Louis is getting dressed up, he thinks about all the things he could say, the excuses he could give, the promises he could make to keep himself in this for a little longer. The whole day with Niall felt like something out of a dream, it was so perfect, and Louis just knows that he’s got to stay practical. If he gets too hopeful, things could go very badly and feel even more devastating than they otherwise would be.

He shows up to the dinner wearing hole-free black trousers and a gray henley with a black blazer on top. His hair is coiffed back now, a curl that flops to one side but stays out of his face, and he feels handsome. He feels like the kind of guy Niall could feel proud to be seen out and about with, like husband material.

Niall greets Louis with a warm smile and a big hug, and they share a peck on the lips before sitting down at the table. Louis takes a drink of his beer, to calm his nerves, before he says, “You look amazing.”

Niall does, with his houndstooth button down and black jacket over top. His cheeks redden and he reaches over for Louis’s hand and says, “You look even better.”

Louis doesn’t look quite like he believes him, but he takes Niall’s compliment in stride and they dig into their dinners. It’s good food, but Louis is a little too nervous to really eat all of it. He just turns to look at Niall a lot, and Niall catches on quickly. He swallows his bite of food and washes it down with some wine.

“So… before we get to the rose, I wanted to give you something,” Niall says, putting down his fork to fix his full attention on Louis. 

Louis sets down his glass and turns to Niall, eyebrow raised in confusion.

“Well, last week, you sort of mentioned that you’ve got a son,” Niall begins. That’s all the details he’d gotten, all he knew, but it was enough. “You seemed really worried. Mentioned that others haven’t wanted you because you’ve got a son.” Louis swallows hard, and when Niall takes his hands he can feel how clammy they are, how nervous Louis is.

Niall reaches out for the gift that’s been sitting on the table, wrapped in silver paper and topped with a blue bow. “I got you this,” he says, offering it to Louis. “To show you how much it means to me that you told me about him, even just a little bit. Hopefully with this you understand that I’m okay with it and that dating somebody with kids doesn’t scare me.”

Louis’s eyes are wide as saucers as he stares at the present for a moment. Hesitantly, he takes it, and he studies it for a long time before finally opening it, ripping at the paper. It’s a plain white box, but inside is a little jersey - a Derby FC one, from where Niall grew up - and before Louis says anything, Niall nervously tells him, “I wasn’t sure how old he was, or what size he needed, but if it’s too big he can grow into it, or we can get him a smaller one, or-,”

“Niall -,” Louis says, his voice tight. His eyes glisten a little, wet from the overwhelming feeling of acceptance and adoration he feels, and he wraps Niall into a big hug.

Niall happily holds Louis against his side, and he rubs his back, asking, “Is it alright?”

“You’ve nearly made me cry on the telly,” Louis wails. He buries his face in Niall’s neck and just breathes, the jersey clutched in his other hand. “It’s great, thank you.” Slowly, Louis pulls away and looks back down at it. “All he’s got right now is a Donny one, but he’s going to love this.”

“He likes football?” Niall wonders.

Louis beams, glowing at the thought of talking about his son with Niall. “He loves it. He’s eighteen months old right now so he doesn’t really _do_ much, but he runs and he knows to kick the ball, even if he’s not really strong enough to get it to move more than a few inches,” he explains. “We’ve watched it on the telly since he was born. It used to put him to sleep but now all it does is keep him awake. He likes when someone wins. He likes the noise and the cheering.”

“He sounds really sweet,” Niall says. “I’d feel very lucky to get to meet him one day.”

Louis’s eyes meet Niall’s and he thinks if he were to trust anyone he knows in this place with meeting his son, it would be Niall. It might be early, but Niall’s got such a warm heart and he’s so understanding; Louis doesn’t want to keep secrets from him. He wants Niall to know about Freddie, to keep seeing the way he cares so much about Freddie and wants to know more.

“What’s his name?”

Louis laughs, one hand flying to his face. “I can’t believe I didn’t say,” he snorts. He’s a bit embarrassed, his cheeks pink. “His name’s Freddie. Freddie Reign Tomlinson.”

Niall’s arm drapes around Louis’s waist again and he kisses Louis’s temple before he says, “He sounds like a really great kid. I hope I get to meet him one day.”

Louis rests his head on Niall’s shoulder, the little Derby jersey still in hand, as he says, “I hope you do, too.”

Niall leans in softly to kiss Louis, and there in the moonlight by their table their lips move together, not a single person to interrupt them. They end the night like that, in each other’s arms under the Australian moonlight.

*

All in all, Niall feels like he’s had a pretty good week, even with some drama there on the group date with Zayn. Everyone seems to be happy, at least, and that’s what Niall was worried about most. There are a lot of people he’s got to give his attention to; so far nobody has said they’re dissatisfied.

He gets to the cocktail party last, as he’s instructed to, and he’s wearing a navy blue shirt with what looks like fireworks all over it, along with glasses and some really nice trousers. His very presence puts a smile on everyone’s faces, and they’ve all got drinks that they’ve been sipping on whilst waiting for him. He’s holding a glass of champagne and holds it up to toast everyone. “It’s been an interesting week here in Australia. I hope you’ve all been enjoying yourselves so far,” he says to the group. “After saying goodbye to Eoghan, we’ve still got a few more roses to hand out at the end of the night. But for now, let’s just have a really great cocktail party and enjoy each other’s company.”

He hates this, giving the cheesy scripted speeches, but it makes for good TV and that’s ultimately what he’s been signed on to do, after all. They toast to what he’s said and right away, Demi corners Niall and asks if she can steal him. He hasn’t seen much of her this week, after she won a rose the week before, so it seems fitting that she’d want some time with him again.

“How have you been this week?” Niall asks, holding her hand as they walk down the pathway in the garden at their resort, searching for a place to sit.

Demi shrugs. “I’ve been alright,” she says. With her free hand she adjusts her hair where it falls in curls over her shoulder, the side shave still very prominent on the other half of her head, and her plain black leather dress looks stunning on her, fitting her curves exactly. She’s clearly put effort into tonight, wants to impress him. It’s working. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

Niall leads her to a bench and they sit down, a cool breeze from the ocean washing over them. He holds her hand and scoots closer to her, looking concerned. “Is everything okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, it’s just… there’s something you should know,” Demi says softly, her concerned gaze fixed on Niall.

“You can tell me anything,” Niall replies.

Demi sighs, and she says, “It’s just that… a couple of the people here have been getting really cozy with each other. I don’t know what exactly is going on, but they’ve been sharing a bed and cuddled up on the sofa for days. They hug and I’ve even see him kiss her forehead and it’s just… I don’t know what’s going on but it seems so unfair to you.”

Niall frowns. He had no idea anything like that was going on - he’d forgotten it was even a possibility.

“Who is it?” he asks. Niall wants to talk to them, to figure out what’s going on and if this is even something they still want to do.

Demi looks like she’s about to say she can’t tell, but finally, after a very long pause, she says, “Taylor and Harry.”

Niall frowns majorly and he asks, “How long has this been going on between them?”

Demi shrugs. “I don’t know why it started but it’s like as soon as we landed in Australia they’ve been super clingy, like they’re a couple or something,” she explains. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on, and I’d feel weird asking.”

“It’s okay. I understand,” Niall reassures her. “Thank you for telling me.”

Demi opens her mouth like she wants to say something else, but she can’t because Selena’s heels are clicking on the pathway, announcing her presence for everyone. She smiles at asks if she can steal Niall, and Demi’s got to let her. Selena sits down next to Niall and leans in for a kiss as greeting. “Hi,” she says, cuddling up next to him where Demi had just been seated.

“Hi there,” Niall says in reply, still troubled from before but pleased to see someone new. 

Selena kisses him again, and he asks her how she’s liking Australia, and she just shrugs. “It’s nice. I like that it’s warm. I wasn’t expecting England to be so cold,” she admits.

“But it’s summertime,” Niall says.

She shrugs. “I like LA. It’s almost always warm there,” she replies simply.

Niall’s quiet; he doesn’t really know what to say to that. Living in LA isn’t really an option for him; he doesn’t want to leave the United Kingdom at the very least. He’s not thinking as far into the future as he maybe should be, considering where these people from outside of the country might be living, where he might have to negotiate a future living arrangement.

Their stilted conversation is cut short by another interruption, this time Bressie, who looks incredibly handsome in his suit. “Hi there,” he grins. “Can I interrupt?”

Selena gives Niall one more long kiss on the lips before breaking away and giving Bressie a chance to chat with Niall.

Bressie looks stunning in his suit - Niall’s amazed at how each of the guys can make suits look so different and so incredible. “Hi,” Niall says warmly, leaning against Bressie as he sits down.

“It feels like forever since we last talked,” Bressie says, and Niall nods.

“It does,” he agrees. “How have you been? How are you liking Australia?”

Bressie smiles and puts his arm around Niall’s waist. “It’s great,” he says. “Scuba diving was amazing. Like, I dunno why I’d never tried it sooner.”

Niall grins at Bressie and says, “Glad to hear it. I’ve always wanted to do it and I was hoping you guys wouldn’t think it was terrible.”

“Nah, it was a really great date,” Bressie reassures him.

“Well thank you,” Niall replies. He looks up at Bressie and feels that flutter in his chest again, the feelings he doesn’t know what to do with. 

They sit in silence for a moment, and it’s so comfortable Niall feels like he’s floating on air. This is the kind of silence he likes - the kind where they’re together, and in tune with each other, but there are no expectations.

“Tell me something I don’t know about you yet,” Bressie prompts finally, his voice soft.

Niall’s caught off guard by the question, but slowly he begins to smile. “Hmm,” he hums. “That’s a good question. You ask the difficult stuff.” Niall really contemplates what to say until finally he settles on: “I’ve got a dog back home. He’s this massive Irish setter named Iain. He keeps me in shape.”

Bressie chuckles and asks, “Oh yeah?”

“Setters are so bloody active, you have no idea,” Niall laughs. “He’s three. Adopted him from a shelter when he was just a puppy… his mum was all abused and the puppies all nearly died. My brother’s got one of Iain’s sister puppies.”

“That’s sweet,” Bressie says. “Siblings have siblings.”

Niall smiles and nods. “We thought so, too. And they love hanging out.”

“You live near the rest of your family?” Bressie asks.

“Aye, sort of,” Niall explains. “We’re in the same area. They walk a few blocks to where I’m at, and I live in this flat with a massive garden, fenced in and lots of room to run. If they bring her over the dogs can run around and wear each other out so we don’t have to occupy them for hours. My nephew sometimes runs around with them, too.”

“Is that something you want one day? Kids to run around in the yard with the dogs?” Bressie wonders.

Niall pauses for a minute, but then smiles and says, “Yeah. Sometimes I get jealous of my brother. He loves being a dad, and it looks really fun.”

“Except the nappies, I bet.”

“Even then. Like, when his wife was so exhausted after he was born? My brother would always change the nappies and brag that he was getting better at it, and got to spend time with Theo and stuff. He thinks it’s all fun, even the smelly bits,” Niall says. “I hope I’m like that, too.”

Bressie looks fondly at Niall and smiles as he says, “It’s all about how you look at it. And I think you seem like the kind of guy who’d love everything about fatherhood, just like your brother.”

Niall’s eyes sparkle in the moonlight as he looks at Bressie, and he reaches up to cup Bressie’s cheek in his hand. “Thanks,” he says softly, before leaning up and pulling him down into a kiss. 

They’re able to share a warm, slow kiss until Jade wanders in and asks to chat with Niall.

Jade and Niall sit down and have a nice discussion, mostly about the competition so far, but Niall finds it fascinating hearing her talk about places she’d like to go in Australia. She seems well versed in all sorts of travel, which he likes. Her bucket list of places to visit is miles long, and they end up wrapped in a conversation about travel until finally they’re interrupted by one of the writers, telling them to go back to the rest of the group and get ready for the rose ceremony.

Niall’s nervous again, when the pressure of what he’s about to do sets in. He doesn’t like conflict, doesn’t like hurting people, and most of all, he doesn’t like confrontation. It gets more and more difficult each week as he grows closer to all these people. He sits down with some writers to talk about what he’s going to do, about who should get roses and who he should consider sending home. Of course they want to make for good TV, but there aren’t really any conflicts. The worst there’s been was Demi telling on Harry and Taylor, but Niall’s glad she did. He doesn’t want to look a fool in the end, with people falling in love with each other instead of him.

It feels like it takes ages this time, setting up the set for the rose ceremony in the resort’s beautiful sprawling garden. Niall’s just impatient, because he knows he has to confront Taylor and Harry. If this is something they want to pursue, they shouldn’t waste anyone else’s time by sticking around in this process.

Lighting is set up, and then cameras, and then everyone steps onto set to get ready to start. They all look nervous, understandably so, and Niall feels a bit bad for having to wait so long to just pull Harry and Taylor off to the side.

Finally they’re ready to start filming, and Niall walks in. “It’s been a really great first week in Australia, and I hope you’ve all had an amazing time so far. I know I have,” he says. Niall looks around at everyone. “Tonight there will be eight more roses handed out. Ten of you will get to spend another week in Australia with me.” He takes a deep breath. “But first, I need to talk to a couple of you alone.” 

Niall pauses, lets the cameras get some good shots as he was instructed to do. People are in varying shades of shock and surprise, and when the whispers die down, Niall says, “Taylor, Harry, can I talk to you two for a minute?”

Taylor looks about ready to cry, and Harry’s first instinct isn’t to look at Niall, but rather to look at Taylor, to check that she’s alright. For Niall, that doesn’t bode well. It makes him wonder where he went wrong, what he did to make them tire of him so quickly. 

He’s frowning the whole time he leads them away.

They go through the gardens and back to the bench he’d been at before, and when he sits down, Taylor and Harry sit down together. The looks on their faces are those of guilt and of worry, and Niall’s chest tightens. “Before we go into the rose ceremony, there’s something I really needed to talk to the two of you about,” Niall begins. He sighs, and he has to look away as Harry and Taylor look so terrified, gazes fixed on him.

“It’s been brought to my attention that you two have gotten really close,” he says slowly. He frowns as he looks up. “That people are starting to think the two of you are dating each other.” Taylor looks down at her lap and Harry starts to play with his lower lip. “I just want to know what’s going on. I’m not accusing you of anything and I’m not kicking you out, I just… I need to know.”

Niall notices when Harry reaches out and starts to rub Taylor’s back, the way he whispers to her that it’s okay, the way they seem so in tune with each other. She sniffles and says, “We’re not dating.”

“Okay,” Niall nods. “Okay, then… what’s this?” He doesn’t want to sound pushy or mean, but he’s hurt by this, by the thought that someone would even act like a couple with someone else but him when they’re supposed to be with him.

Taylor rests her elbows on her knees and cups her face in her hands, taking a shuddering breath. “A few days ago, she got an emergency call from her parents,” Harry explains. “Her mum’s not well.”

Niall looks worried. “Will she be okay?” he asks softly, looking down at Taylor and pushing her short blonde hair behind her ear.

She takes a deep breath, her whole body heaving with it, and she dabs at her eyes as she sits up. “She’s got cancer,” Taylor says softly. “We don’t know much else, yet. I just -,”

Words get trapped in her throat, though, and Harry continues, “I was trying to comfort her and talk her through it. I’m in this for you, Niall. We both are. But I couldn’t leave her to deal with it alone.”

Niall’s frowning deeply now, and he puts his arm around Taylor. “I understand,” he tells them. “I can see why people misinterpreted but like… that makes a lot of sense. I get it.”

Taylor takes another deep breath and Niall sees how full of tears her eyes are, how close she is to completely breaking down, and he says, “Harry, could I talk to Taylor alone please?”

Harry nods and solemnly gives her one last rub on the back before walking back to everyone else. They’re shocked to only see Harry, and Louis leans over to whisper to Louis about it, but Taylor’s not back yet and neither is Niall, so they don’t know what’s happening.

Niall hugs Taylor to him and lets her dab away a few more tears. “If you would rather be home with your mum right now, not a single person would blame you,” Niall tells her softly. “I wish I could keep you here but you have a say in this, too. If you need to be with her, just say the word.”

“I’m just so scared,” she confesses. Her voice is thin, weak. Niall’s heart breaks for her. “What if she gets worse and they can’t reach me? We don’t even know how long she’s got left…”

“I know,” Niall nods. “Do whatever is best for you. I hope for the best though,” he says. “You all deserve for her to pull through and beat this. I bet she’s amazing.”

Taylor smiles, a tear sliding down her cheek. Niall wipes it away with his thumb and she says, “She’s my best friend. The greatest woman in the world. I just miss her so much.”

Niall holds her and tries his best to comfort her, though he doesn’t know exactly what to say next. He’s really intrigued by her and wants to keep getting to know her, but at the same time, he’d never forgive himself if he tried to get her to stay and she lost her mum to this before the show ended.

Taylor sniffles and says, “I really like you, Niall. You’re so great.”

Her words pull Niall out of his thoughts and he focuses in on her, his arm around her shoulders, listening.

“But I think I have to go. I need to be with her.”

It’s disappointing, but Niall understands. He knows this is what is best; he doesn’t want to be selfish or keep Taylor from seeing her family. Not in a time like this, when it’s so important for Taylor to be there to support her mother through everything. Even if her mum overcomes and beats cancer, or has years and years ahead, he has to agree with her. He’d always feel guilty if she felt regret one day, choosing to stay with Niall instead of go home to her mum.

“I understand,” he tells her softly. “I do. You’re an amazing woman, and I love how much you care about your family. It’s really great.”

Taylor looks ready to cry all over again, and she rests her head on his shoulder. “Thank you,” she whispers.

Niall holds her a little longer, until they’re told they’ve got to get up. “Can I walk you out?” he asks.

“Sure,” Taylor nods. He takes her hand and they walk through the gardens, avoiding the room where they’re having the rose ceremony entirely, so that he can take her out front. There’s a car ready for her, and Niall gives her a big hug and a kiss on her forehead as she says goodbye. “I’ll miss you,” Niall tells her. “Give your mum my best, alright? Let me know how everything goes.”

“Thanks,” Taylor says, wiping at her eyes. “I’ll miss you, too.”

They hug one final time before Taylor climbs into the car. Niall waves as the car drives away, and he stares after her for a minute before he walks inside to greet everyone else. He holds out his hands and says, “Taylor’s mum is really unwell, and she’s decided that it’s better to be home with her mum rather than here, with me. Which I understand, and I support. And I want to thank Harry for comforting her through such a difficult time. When there’s life-threatening situations involved, people need all the support they can get.” 

The ten remaining people exchange glances, some of guilt, some of surprise, some of worry. Niall lets them have their moment before he continues, “So… that being said, there will be no rose ceremony. I’ll see you all next week for what I hope will be another fun week in Australia.” He looks worried, a little pale, and begins to back up toward the door as he says, “Have a great night, you guys. Thanks for a good start to our time in Australia.”

There’s no toast, no goodbye hugs, nothing. Niall isn’t in the mood for it, not when he’s worried about Taylor. He’ll rest easy once he knows she’s back with her family, something she’ll be allowed to call him about later, once she gets back to New York. In the meantime, Niall’s just going back to his suite and climbing into bed to be left to his thoughts. Everyone else stands in shock, slowly dispersing, worried about Niall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**Next week on The Bachelor...** _
> 
> Louis covers Niall’s hands with his own and uses his feet to kick them off down the slide. There’s a cameraman waiting to film them down at the bottom, and Niall tucks his chin over Louis’s shoulder as Louis uses his feet to tug them forward. They start sliding down, and Niall grins as they slide down. He hopes Louis is smiling too. 
> 
> When they get to the base of the slide, Louis doesn’t move to let Niall off, and instead he turns to look over his shoulder at Niall. Their noses bump and he teasingly pecks Niall on the lips. “If you think I regret being here I might have to toss some of this lemur poo at you,” he says, before running off.
> 
> **
> 
> Selena looks up at him and says, “Full honesty? I’m not a big fan of zoos. I know they give the animals good lives but sometimes I hate seeing them penned up like that.” She smiles though, and adds, “I liked getting to spend time with you, though.”
> 
> Niall smiles at her, but thinks back to the date and only has vague recollections of Selena the whole day. “Thank you for being honest with me,” Niall says, because he’s been told to say that, and nothing else really comes to mind.
> 
> **
> 
> “Ready for our day?” he asks.
> 
> Eagerly she nods, and he takes her hand to lead her out into the car. They take a car to a place nearby, a hangar near the water’s edge, and Jade’s staring with wide eyes. “Are we going to fly?” she asks, looking both excited and terrified.
> 
> Niall chuckles. “If I said yes, would you panic?”
> 
> Jade clutches his hand as she watches the hangar come into view, a small biplane sitting out on the tarmac. “Only a little,” she confesses.
> 
> The little open air biplane is waiting for them, brightly coloured and immaculately cleaned to sparkle in the sunlight. “We’re going to take a flying tour over Sydney,” Niall explains. “We get to see all the sights, and they’re even going to do a few tricks in the sky.”
> 
> “Oh my god,” Jade says, eyes wide. 
> 
> **
> 
> Harry frowns. "This is hard, having to pour your whole heart into something just to hope that someone’s going to feel even a fraction of that in return. I don’t know how to handle it.”


	5. Week Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW the reception to this so far has been absolutely amazing. Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm for this fic! Here we are at the halfway point. I still don't know who's going to win, because things change with each chapter written. I DO know that it will be done - I know WIPs make some of you nervous - and I'm excited to share the rest of this fic with you :) 
> 
> I'd just like to point out for this and all chapters that I'm no expert on these locations they'll be going to. I find all locations/activities on travel sites unless otherwise stated.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you guys after this chapter, too! I love all the feedback :)

Having a few dark days with no cameras and no expectations helps Niall start to feel more like normal, a smile back on his face. His trepidations and worries have morphed back into excitement, reflections on past dates reminding him that things aren’t going as badly as they sometimes feel. 

Now he’s looking ahead to their final week in Australia and the two dates he’s going to have. There are only two: not a lot, and certainly not enough to make everyone happy. But it’s the way things worked out, with traveling to their next destination after Australia and with the numbers getting smaller.

There’s a group date first, followed by a single one on one that week. Even though he's going on a date with nine people who are all probably a little disappointed they didn't get a one on one, Niall is excited for the group date. He's tried to make sure it's something accessible for everyone this time, and that it's a feel-good thing to try to break the tension they're all inevitably feeling with this process half over.

Niall can't believe they've made it so far, but he also doesn't know how he's going to manage to narrow it down further. His feelings are growing strongly for almost everyone that's still there, and it's confusing to him, working through those emotions.

He shows up at the resort just after breakfast to pick everyone up for their group date. Jade is still asleep upstairs and he hopes she won’t be too bored at the resort all by herself, all day.

Louis still looks dead to the world, tea in hand, and Liam seems to be feeding the need for tea by topping Louis off with more from time to time. The girls are all dolled up, some dressed comfortably and others dressed in nice blouse-like tank tops and high heeled sandals. He hopes they understand they don't have to be all dolled up all the time in order to impress him.

Nick greets Niall with a big hug and Zayn swoops in for one after him, like he's still trying to make up for last week or something. “Morning everyone,” Niall says as he smiles at them all. “We have a big day ahead of us and I'm late, so what do you say we get going?”

They all agree and climb into the cars that will take them to their destination: the Taronga Zoo. Harry looks especially excited, though everyone seems quite enthusiastic. Zayn seeks out a spot right next to Niall and the whole ride they sit close enough that their thighs touch and their elbows bump, and the gesture is so innocent that Niall can’t fight the blush spreading across his cheeks. Selena hesitates a bit before plastering a smile on her face, but whatever it means, Niall hopes she’ll have a good time anyway.

Niall leads them past the gates and into the main area of the zoo where there’s someone waiting for them, to show them around and lead them to their first destination. “So, while we’re here, we’re going to be able to look around at all the different animals, but we’re also doing some really special stuff, too,” Niall explains. “Just have a good time and have fun with it, okay?”

That warning before they head off leaves a few looking a little confused, and it only starts to click once they get into the reptile house. “Today we get to meet some animals,” Niall says as they approach the zookeeper waiting for them.

Except usually when someone says animals, one pictures things like koalas or lemurs or some other fluffy creature. Instead, they’re standing in the middle of a bunch of reptiles, mostly snakes, and many eyes go wide. Niall laughs, though he sounds a bit nervous too, and they don’t know what to think of it. It’s not exactly the most romantic situation in the world.

The zookeeper asks Niall if he’d like to go first, and she holds out a snake to him, something larger than he’s comfortable with but he can’t wimp out now, not when he’s trying to show the others that it’s not so bad. “Ahh,” he says, laughing and making a grossed-out face all at once.

A few of them laugh as it slithers along his hand and twists around his wrist loosely. “Oh god, that’s so gross,” Selena groans, hiding behind Demi as she watches, looking amused.

Niall laughs through it all, sort of wishing he’d chosen something a little more cuddly to start out with, but the zookeeper tells him that he’s being a really good sport about it, and then asks who’s next. The zookeeper has the snake in their hands again, and as soon as the question is out of their mouth, everyone takes a step back.

Niall looks around and says, “Oh, come on! Someone give it a try. It’s not so bad. He’s harmless!”

Zayn steps up then, shrugging like the whole thing is no big deal. “I’ll give it a go,” he says.

Niall looks massively impressed, and he steps up to stand next to Zayn as the zookeeper steps up and gently lets the snake slither into Zayn’s hands. “Ugh, feels so weird,” Zayn says as he watches the reptile climbing through his hands. It’s not a huge boa so it’s nothing that’ll kill him, but it’s still gross, and feels risky and like more than he’d signed up for with this whole dating thing.

But Niall’s resting his hand on the small of Zayn’s back as he holds the snake, and that erases pretty much all the fear Zayn feels, somehow. 

Liam is the only other person who’s brave enough to try holding a snake, and he even goes so far as to ask about one of the bigger ones. The zookeeper lets him, and Niall’s staring with a mix of surprise and disgust at the sight of Liam holding such a huge snake, slimy snake.

“You great showoff!” Louis shouts. Liam laughs nervously as he watches the giant snake in his hands.

Nobody else gives it a go, though, and they quickly conclude their time in the reptile house.

“Alright guys, I promise that was the worst of it,” he says with bright laughter as they walk through more of the zoo.

Along the paths, they see animals like kangaroos and rhinos, and then they reach a boardwalk that looks to go down the centre of an enclosure full of giraffes. “This should be a lot better,” he tells them as they approach another zookeeper. “Everyone’s got to try this.”

They gather up around the zookeeper, who explains to them that they’re going to be feeding giraffes today, and that each of them should give it a go, because the giraffes are very friendly, and a lot less slimy than the snakes the started with. “Niall, you should go first again,” Selena calls from where she’s standing behind Demi, hiding again.

Niall frowns; it feels an awful lot like she’s not enjoying the date so far. She’s not even trying. 

He’s a good sport about it, though, and he puts on a smile as he steps forward and tries, holding out his hand with food in it. They wait, and a giraffe spots him and slowly walks over. “This is the youngest giraffe in the enclosure,” the zookeeper explains as he approaches. “His name is Rudy and he’s two. He’s usually shy around humans, unlike the adults here, but he seems to like you.”

“Everyone likes Niall,” Nick says with a fond smile on his face. Niall doesn’t want to move, because he doesn’t want to spook the giraffe that’s approaching, but he does smile at Nick in return.

Everyone’s quiet as the giraffe eats the treats out of Niall’s hand, and he laughs a little at the feeling of the big, sloppy mouth of the animal eating the food from him. “You guys need to try this,” he says, grinning. “It’s so fun.”

Harry’s already got food in his hand and he slowly walks up, hand outstretched with food on it, offering more food to the young giraffe standing near them. The giraffe watches him but doesn’t move. Louis decides to give it a go then, too.

The young giraffe walks away, but they’ve caught the attention of one of the others instead, and in no time there are several adult giraffes eating out of everyone’s hands. Selena ends up standing off to the side the most, though she does at least give it a try. The animals must sense her fear because they don’t approach her at all.

They spend about an hour there with the giraffes, feeding them and one brave soul, Louis, even reaches out to pet one. It feels like the mood has shifted from unsure to happy, which puts Niall at ease. He wants them all to have a good time, and he wants to get to know them better, too. The reptile house may have been a rocky start but now everything seems to be working out a little better, and they’re still not done at the zoo.

They approach a giant playground next, and Niall grins massively as they reach the gate. This was his favourite part of the date plans and he can’t wait to see how everyone else reacts. “Okay. No more giant animals, or slimy animals. Now for the really cute ones,” he says. “We can’t hold koalas because of new laws here, I asked, but hopefully this is almost as great. We’re going to play on this playground with lemurs.” He gestures behind them to where there are, in fact, lemurs jumping around on the playground equipment.

“We’re going in there with them?” Liam asks, looking surprised.

Niall nods. “Yeah. That’s what this exhibit is. Like we get to go in there and interact with them and act like kids on the slide and the swings and stuff,” he says. “Just let loose and have fun.”

It’s clear to everyone else how excited Niall is to be at this exhibit hanging out with these animals and spending time with the nine men and women he’s taken on this date to the zoo. He leads them into the enclosure where there’s a zookeeper standing nearby, just in case something happens. They’ve been assured that nothing will, though.

Niall watches as everyone else gets used to the idea, lemurs running around them like it’s no big deal, being surrounded by humans much bigger than they are. Harry’s the first to get into it, and he pretends to climb the monkey bars that he’s too tall for because there’s a lemur standing on top of it, staring at him.

He pets its tail and smiles up at it, and the lemur dashes away. Niall approaches Harry right away and says, “He seemed nice.”

“I think it was a she,” Harry replies. “But I can’t tell the difference. Just a feeling.”

Niall laughs. “I think you’re too tall for this.”

Harry stands upright to pout and prove that he’s not, except he bumps his head on the bars. Clearly, Niall’s been proven correct. “You alright?” Niall asks, reaching up to pat Harry’s head.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Harry says with a smile.

He looks it, but Niall isn’t convinced until he sees Harry skitter off to chase a lemur. It leaves Niall feeling torn, because on the one hand Harry’s really immersing himself in this, playing around with the animals and having fun. But on the other hand, Niall had approached him specifically to talk to, only to have him disappear, chasing after a lemur.

Niall finds himself wishing he knew Harry better, because he doesn’t know whether what Harry’s just done is because of disinterest or because he genuinely just gets distracted like that sometimes. He knows it’s partially his own fault, because looking at Harry was hard after losing Gemma, but that was a couple of weeks ago now, and his feelings for others are developing stronger. He wants to give Harry a fair shot, just like everyone else.

Niall hears his name being called, which pulls him from his thoughts, and when he looks up he sees that Louis has climbed to the tallest platform and is standing at the top of the slide. “Niall, come on!” he shouts.

Just seeing Louis so happy puts a smile back on Niall’s face, and he climbs up the different platforms until he’s there with Louis at the top of the slide. “Makes me miss Freddie,” Louis confesses as he tugs on Niall’s hand, sitting down at the base of the slide.

Niall follows, and he sits behind Louis, legs framing Louis’s hips. “I bet he misses you too,” Niall says, hoping to comfort Louis just a little. He wraps his arms around Louis’s waist and says, “I hope you’re not regretting being here.”

Louis covers Niall’s hands with his own and uses his feet to kick them off down the slide. There’s a cameraman waiting to film them down at the bottom, and Niall tucks his chin over Louis’s shoulder as Louis uses his feet to tug them forward. They start sliding down, and Niall grins as they slide down. He hopes Louis is smiling too. 

When they get to the base of the slide, Louis doesn’t move to let Niall off, and instead he turns to look over his shoulder at Niall. Their noses bump and he teasingly pecks Niall on the lips. “If you think I regret being here I might have to toss some of this lemur poo at you,” he says, before running off.

It should be off-putting, seeing someone acting so childish on a playground, but with Louis it’s oddly endearing. Louis acts like a child but also knows how to act like an adult, when he needs to. He’s incredibly adept at reading a situation, Niall has learned, and something about that intrigues him. It’s likely why Louis seems like he’d be such a great father - he’s always going to be able to read the situation and know what Freddie needs.

Niall’s caught up in his head again, and is this time pulled out of it by a lemur leaping right onto his head. The creature’s grip is tight in his hair, and Niall lets out a surprised howl, calling everyone’s attention to him. They all burst out laughing and Bressie and Nick try to step in to help, but the lemur doesn’t let go until the zookeeper bribes it with its favourite treats.

After that, Niall’s hair is a mess and everyone is starting to get hungry. That’s about when the camera crew seems ready to pack it up, and Niall says goodbye to everyone for a while so they can all get ready for the cocktail party, where Niall will give the group date rose to one very lucky individual.

The cocktail party is taking place on a beach this time, and they have a private area reserved for filming, complete with a bonfire and plenty of chairs and a great spread of picnic food. Hopefully everyone embraces the beach feeling and wears comfortable clothes, rather than fancy gowns, for while they’re out in the sand and the water.

As with every cocktail party, everyone goes all out. Most girls are wearing shoes impractical for the beach, but they catch on quickly that they should just take them. They walk barefoot the rest of the way, shoes tossed aside. Even most of the guys follow through, except for the few who’d thought ahead and worn sandals.

The sunset is beautiful as it reflects on the ocean, and it’s a breathtaking view - the perfect view for a date night. Niall’s heart starts to race as he watches them all approach where he stands by the bonfire. For their last group date in Australia, he couldn’t imagine anything more beautiful.

“Hello everyone. Before we worry about conversations or anything else, please dig in! I made sure we got a full array of Australian specialties,” he says. “I’ve tried a little bit of everything already, and they’re delicious.”

As he expected, though, not everyone goes to the food right away. Almost as soon as he gives them free reign of what they’re going to do, he’s approached by somebody.

He doesn’t quite mind when it’s Louis.

“I have something I want to show you,” Louis says right away, looking very pleased.

The rules of being on reality TV aren’t always fun, he thinks, but at least they’d let him print out photos since having his phone wasn’t going to be an option. Too much can happen if they’re given their cell phones to use during filming. So Louis carries a few pictures in his hands as he walks up to Niall, and the two of them go down the beach to a private bit of beach.

Niall sits down on the sand and Louis joins him, both smiling at being able to have some time alone with each other. “You look happy,” Niall comments. “Anything I did?”

“Yes, maybe,” Louis says, shrugging like he’s trying to keep it a mystery.

Niall nudges Louis as they sit together, staring out at the ocean, and Louis hands over the small stack of photos he’s been nervously carrying since they left to meet Niall at the beach. “He likes the shirt you got him. It’s a bit big but like you said, he’ll grow into it,” he explains.

Niall stares down at the first photo in the stack, and his chest tightens as he realizes that it’s a photo of a child in a Derby FC jersey. When it clicks in his head that it’s a photo of Freddie, it makes him lose his breath. “I sent it back to my mum in Donny as soon as you gave it to me,” he says. “Wanted Freddie to get to see it right away.”

“Is that where he’s staying right now?” Niall asks softly.

“With my mum? Yeah,” Louis nods, his voice soft.

The moment feels so private that Niall can hardly believe he gets to experience it. Being able to see Louis’s son, this private part of Louis’s life that he didn’t have to share with Niall, feels so incredibly special. “He looks _just_ like you, my god,” Niall says.

Freddie’s a little chubby toddler, big pink cheeks and bright sparkling blue eyes. He smiles at the camera, a few teeth grown in and a string of drool down his chin, dripping onto the jersey. It hangs on him like a dress, down to his knees, but he looks so absolutely pleased that it makes Niall speechless. “He’s teething right now so he’s a mess, with all the drool, but he’s a happy guy most of the time,” Louis says. “First thing he got really good at was sleeping through the night. He’s definitely my kid.”

Niall smiles, and he sits a bit closer to Louis as he says, “Thank you for showing me Freddie. He’s perfect.”

“Yeah, he is,” Louis nods, though he sounds a bit wistful. “He’s my one perfect thing.”

Niall thinks there’s a lot more that’s perfect about Louis other than his son, but he bites his tongue, saves those sorts of compliments for later. He flips through the other photos and sees Freddie at various ages, a few with Louis in them and a few without. Louis looks the same in Australia as he does back home; Niall finds a sort of comfort in knowing that Louis hasn’t changed himself to try to suit Niall. He is who he is and that’s all there is to it.

There’s one photo in particular that Niall adores, and it’s one of Louis holding Freddie, Louis completely shirtless, Freddie gazing up at Louis with big eyes. The photo is printed in black and white and it feels like such a tender, private moment shared between a father and son. “This one is my favourite,” Niall says softly, reverently. “You both look great.”

“He was only a couple weeks old then,” Louis says, reaching over to trace his finger over the edge. “His mum took that photo, actually.”

Niall swallows. He hasn’t been brave enough to ask about that yet, but he thinks now is when he’s going to find out. 

“She had good intentions, really,” Louis insists, like he feels the need to defend her or something. “The problem is that well… Freddie was unplanned. Obviously. And she wasn’t ready to be a mum. She thought she was, and we tried to make it work, but when he was about four months old, it was too much for her. She had uni, and she had work, and those things were more important to her.”

“What about you?” Niall asks.

“I was about a month away from graduation. I’m a few years older than her so the timing worked out a little nicer for me. Besides, out of the two of us, I was the only one who’d actually ever wanted to be a parent,” he explains. “I’ve got a part time job doing football coaching for seven and eight year olds, but he and I both live with my mum while I try to find a job. At least I’ve got the qualifications and all that, though.”

Niall nods. “I’m sorry she left you guys,” he says. “A child deserves two parents.” He looks a little coy as he admits, “I’m sort of thankful it all happened, though. That I got to meet you and stuff.”

Louis smiles and looks down at the ground. He will probably never fully understand what he’s done to deserve even just one date with someone as kind as Niall, never mind weeks and weeks of dating him.

He doesn’t want it to end.

Louis leans over, ducking his head in for a kiss, but before their lips meet they’re interrupted. “Hi,” says a girl’s voice, sharp through the soft silence they’d been sitting in. “Can I steal him?”

Louis looks disappointed, and Niall leans in to give Louis a peck on the lips before he turns to see who it is. It’s Selena, looking stunning in a shimmery silver dress that ends around her thighs, feet bare and covered in sand. “Hey,” he says, waving to Louis as Selena walks in.

“Hi there,” she says, offering a hand to Niall.

Clearly she doesn’t want to sit in the sand, and in a dress that looks so expensive he doesn’t blame her. Niall stands up, brushing the sand off himself before he takes her hand. They walk out onto the beach, in the surf where the waves are washing up on the sand, the water falling in waves over their feet. “So what did you think of the date?” he asks curiously.

Selena looks up at him and says, “Full honesty? I’m not a big fan of zoos. I know they give the animals good lives but sometimes I hate seeing them penned up like that.” She smiles though, and adds, “I liked getting to spend time with you, though.”

Niall smiles at her, but thinks back to the date and only has vague recollections of Selena the whole day. “Thank you for being honest with me,” Niall says, because he’s been told to say that, and nothing else really comes to mind.

“Yeah, of course,” she nods. 

They walk in silence for a little bit, hands clasped between them, until Niall feels almost relieved that Bressie is approaching. He doesn’t know how to make conversation with Selena anymore; they’re too different. “Hey, can I steal him?” Bressie asks.

Selena looks displeased, but nods because she has to say yes. As she’s walking away, Niall grins at Bressie, who leans down to wrap his arms around Niall’s waist for a hug. Niall stands on his tiptoes and wraps his arms around Bressie’s shoulders to hug him back, and Bressie completely lifts him out of the water. “Good to see you,” he says into Niall’s shoulder.

“You too,” Niall replies through bright peals of laughter.

Bresse sets Niall down after a minute, and Niall keeps one hand at the back of Bressie’s head, fingers sliding through the short hair there. Bressie gets the hint and smiles even as he leans down and connects their lips, half kissing and half letting small bursts of laughter be shared between their mouths.

It feels _right_ , standing on the beach with Bressie in the sunset. Niall feels a chemistry that isn’t there, or maybe isn’t as strong, with some of the others. They walk a little deeper into the ocean, Niall glad that he wore looser jeans than usual, so he can roll them up. “Dunno where we’re headed next, but you’ve got to get some more sun cream, babe,” Bressie says, smiling over at Niall in the sunset.

“God I know, my skin’s so red,” Niall laughs. “I’m putting sun cream on, though!”

“We should get you some aloe then,” Bressie jokes.

Niall slides his arm around Bressie’s waist and walks against him, feeling Bressie’s arm draping down around Niall’s waist in return. “You look out for me so well,” Niall says fondly.

“I _do_ care about you a lot,” Bressie says simply. It sounds so natural for him, admitting that he’s got feelings for him. He puts a kiss on top of Niall’s head and smiles as he holds him, walking with Niall through the surf.

Unlike with Selena, walking with Bressie feels warm and comforting and perfect. Niall can close his eyes and let the silence surround them and it feels like it’s okay, like the silence is as good for them as talking.

“I care a lot about you, too,” Niall says finally.

Bressie rubs his hand up and down Niall’s back a few times, like a small gesture of adoration, before he says, “I know. Even when you’re out on dates with other people, I’ve figured it out. Since you’ve kept me around so far.”

Niall grins up at Bressie. He wants to keep him around longer, and he knows it for sure. “Lucky you,” he laughs.

“Yeah, exactly. Lucky me,” he agrees. And he really does feel lucky, because Niall’s a great guy and treats them all so well. Bressie smiles at him and leans down for a kiss, and they pause where they’re walking so Niall can face him properly and kiss him deeper.

They stand there in the sunset kissing until it’s too dark to film anymore, the last wedges of the sun passed beyond the horizon. They’re then interrupted and brought back to the bonfire where some lighting rigs have been set up to get them through the last bit of the night. “I want to thank you all for a really amazing day out in Australia,” Niall begins, standing in front of all of them, the rose in his hands. “I appreciate you all being such good sports at the zoo, and how much you guys have indulged me in all the stuff I wanted to try here before we have to leave. I hope you’ve gotten a chance to have some good food, and that none of you have gotten as sunburnt as me.” 

Niall chuckles and some of the others join him. It makes the mood feel lightened just a bit before he has to get serious. “Unfortunately I can’t give everyone a rose tonight. I just have the one. I’ve had a great time with all of you today, and we’ve had some great conversations tonight,” Niall says. He takes a deep breath before he says, “This rose is going to someone who has really made me feel amazing today, and who always manages to put a smile on my face and makes me feel cared for.” Niall catches a set of warm brown eyes - Bressie’s eyes - as he says, “Bressie, will you accept this rose?”

Bressie’s eyes widen like he’s surprised by the rose, but he’d be a fool to say no. He smiles and stands, Niall meeting him halfway so he can give him the rose and a big hug. Bressie is smiling so brightly at the surprise and Niall gets a sense of fulfillment knowing he put that smile there. 

After a moment, Niall steps away to address everyone again. “Thanks again you guys, for a really wonderful day. I’ll see you guys at the rose ceremony,” he says. Niall waves and flashes them his best smile before walking away.

*

The one on one date is for Jade, who very nearly cried when she heard the news. She’s struggled to get time with Niall so far, and it seems whenever she wants to approach Niall to talk to people, she’s cut off by production to move on to the next part of filming.

Jade gets up far too early on the morning of her date, butterflies in her stomach as she gets ready. She’s wearing denim shorts and a flowy white top, a nice light outfit for a day out in Australia. Most of her time is spent in front of the mirror, fixing her makeup over and over again, or adjusting curls just a little with her curling iron. 

Demi peeks around the door jamb, looking like she’s just crawled out of bed with no makeup, messy hair, and rumpled pajamas. “You look amazing,” Demi reassures her with a soft voice.

Concern crosses Jade’s features and she turns to face Demi. “Really?” she asks nervously. “I haven’t been on a date in so long… it feels like it’s been forever.”

“You’ve been on the group dates,” Demi replies.

“Those are different,” Jade pouts. “This is a one on one date. I haven’t had one of these since my ex.”

Demi smiles fondly and walks in to take the curling iron away from Jade. “You’re going to have an amazing time. Niall’s such a great guy. You’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about.”

She starts curling the hair at the back of Jade’s head, adding a few spritzes of hairspray every once in a while until her hair looks perfect. “Have fun today, okay?” Demi says as they walk to the front door.

The doorbell rings just as they get there, and Jade blushes and does a little dance before waving Demi off and thanking her for the help. She opens the door, the rest of the house fast asleep, to see Niall standing there in a lovely white linen button down and some denim shorts. He’s so handsome she nearly swoons, and Niall gives Jade a big hug when the says hello.

“Ready for our day?” he asks.

Eagerly she nods, and he takes her hand to lead her out into the car. They take a car to a place nearby, a hangar near the water’s edge, and Jade’s staring with wide eyes. “Are we going to fly?” she asks, looking both excited and terrified.

Niall chuckles. “If I said yes, would you panic?”

Jade clutches his hand as she watches the hangar come into view, a small biplane sitting out on the tarmac. “Only a little,” she confesses.

The little open air biplane is waiting for them, brightly coloured and immaculately cleaned to sparkle in the sunlight. “We’re going to take a flying tour over Sydney,” Niall explains. “We get to see all the sights, and they’re even going to do a few tricks in the sky.”

“Oh my god,” Jade says, eyes wide. 

They climb out of the car to approach the plane properly, and she looks mildly terrified as she analyzes the very thing they’re going to be flying in shortly. Niall’s nervous too, because he’s never been in a plane like this before, but he thinks it’s going to be fun as long as he’s got Jade there by his side.

The logistics of the date are going to be a nightmare, though, in terms of filming. He’s already been warned that they’ll be flying around for hours, so the second biplane carrying a cameraman can get good shots of them up in the air - enough to use for the episode. Plus they’ve got to make sure to have plenty of conversation, and he’s definitely been told to kiss her, but Niall doesn’t mind that one bit. Jade’s adorable, and if she needs calming down, he’s going to give that a try.

They put on the big bulky helmets and make sure the microphones on them are working, so they can hear each other, before they climb into the plane. Jade’s hands are trembling just a bit, so after they buckle up Niall reaches over to hold her hand. “Alright, love?” he asks.

“Yeah,” she nods, though she doesn’t feel so sure.

Jade lets out a squeal as the plane takes off, but once they level off when they’re at the right altitude, she begins to relax, and so does Niall. He’s smiling, looking out at Sydney all around them, and Jade peeks over the edge too. “Oh my god,” she mumbles, eyes wide. “Oh my god we’re so high up!”

Niall laughs and rests his hand on her thigh. “We’re fine,” he reassures her. “Hey look, there’s the resort we’re staying at.” Niall starts pointing out some of the sights, and Jade knows a bunch too, and they spend some time doing that while the camera crew gets some good shots of them pointing and smiling and laughing without any dialogue to put with it. It’ll be a great cheesy montage scene.

After that, Niall gets a little more serious, and he says to Jade, “I’m glad you came with me for this. I was worried you’d be scared.”

“It _is_ scary,” she tells him. “But it’s fun, y’know? Like at the same time.”

Niall grins. “I agree,” he replies.

Slowly, Niall reaches out to push the microphone out of the way, and he does the same to his own before leaning in for a kiss. Jade laughs into it, making Niall laugh, and before it can really get properly serious, they’re in a bout of giggles in a biplane high above Sydney. To Niall, it feels beyond perfect. Jade is a really sweet girl, even if he still feels like he barely knows her.

They soar around in the sky for a bit longer, Niall stealing a few kisses from time to time, and then before landing, the pilot says he’s going to do a spin, so hold on. They both let out a shout when he does it over the harbour, but when they’re level again, they’re buzzing, big grins on their faces. “That was amazing!” Jade says excitedly.

Niall laughs, a deep, throaty laugh full of joy, and he never could have imagined that this date would end up so perfectly, and it’s only midday. They land after an entire morning in the sky, and they have a quick sandwich that’s handed off to them by the crew.

The pros and cons of a television show, Niall figures. They don’t want to show them eating too much when they could be doing other things. There are no cameras on, and they’re trying to look a little less windblown from being up in the sky all morning, and Niall’s a bit dizzy, too.

In no time at all they’re back at it, though, cameras following them from the tarmac to the car, which takes them just a bit further into the city, to Rose Bay Wharf. “Oh wow, it’s gorgeous out here,” Jade says, smiling. 

The trees are green and bright in the sunlight, and the water is almost blinding where it reflects the light off its bright blue surface. It smells like the sea and there are ferries out on the Sydney Harbour, and the two of them take a moment to walk along the path, holding hands. “Are you enjoying yourself so far?” Niall asks.

“It’s so bloody amazing,” Jade gushes, looking out at everything, and then leaning in to Niall. “I like being here with you.”

And truthfully, she’s glad she’s made it through this far. The first few weeks she got a bit shy, a bit unsure of herself, because she’s never put herself out there like this. Not only is it a reality show where she’s got to protect her heart or else it’ll be broken on national television, but it’s also a big step for her in terms of dating. After her last relationship, he never wanted to put herself out there. But with Niall, putting herself out there feels easy for Jade. She likes it.

When they reach the wharf proper, they board a ferry and stand at the railing’s edge to watch the trees and shores pass by. Neither of them know where they’re going, fully, though Niall at least knows the final destination, but it’s okay. Jade smiles as she stands at the railing, and Niall’s behind her, arms framing her waist. Her hair blows in his face and he sputters a bit; Jade laughs, loud and contagious, and soon they’re both laughing as the fine mist of water from the ferry splashes up at them as they travel.

He leans down to kiss her on the cheek and she closes her eyes, smiling at the feeling. “Thank you,” she says to him softly, even though she’s got no idea what lies ahead.

Niall smiles as he leans in closer to her, his cheek touching hers as he stands behind her, peeking over her shoulder. “Of course,” he grins. 

It surprises him, how easily he’s getting on with Jade considering he’d hardly talked to her at all so far in the process. She’s so quiet most of the time that he’d worried their date would be massively awkward or something. But she’s sweet, and she’s so open with him when they’re alone, and Niall thinks she’s just the type of girl who needs to be alone with someone to fully open up, like she doesn’t show her true self to just anyone, especially not a massive group of people.

They watch as the Sydney Opera House comes into view, the Harbour Bridge on the other side of the ferry, and slowly the ferry stops in port at the Circular Quay. The weather couldn’t have been any more perfect, bright sunlight and clear skies overhead as they walk off the ferry and into the city. Niall takes Jade’s hand and leads her through the city, along a carefully devised path that will take them to their final destination.

Jade is all wide eyes and lots of excitement as she looks around at everything, takes in the feeling of being downtown in Sydney, Australia with Niall, hand in hand with him. After about an hour of walking, they start to get tired and overheated from the sun beating down on them, and Niall tells the crew he doesn’t want to walk the rest of the way to the hotel; it’s too far, they worried that it would be, and clearly it is. He doesn’t want to show up for the dinner in his suit with a sunburned face and smelling like he’d been sweating all day. He figures that Jade doesn’t want that, either.

So, one of the production members gets them a cab and sends them off to the hotel where they’ll part ways to get ready for their big date. Jade always looks amazing at cocktail parties and rose ceremonies, so he can’t wait to see what she looks like all dolled up for their date.

Niall hopes nobody expects such high-profile dates once they’re off the show, because he could never afford to buy out the entire floor of a restaurant so they can have a private date, in a five star restaurant, atop a large high-rise hotel on the Sydney Harbour. He wouldn’t have even been able to fly them to Sydney, period. But adventure is nice, and even if it’s front loaded into the relationship, it’s still important time he got to spend with the, and memories they’re going to treasure. 

Niall’s waiting by the front entrance of the hotel, hands clasped in front of him and a smart looking black suit on, tailored to every inch of his body. He’s wearing his glasses again, and he’s waiting for Jade’s car to pull up. She’d gotten ready inside the hotel, but this is all for show, for the telly, so she left in a limo and took a little ride around downtown Sydney before being brought right back for the date.

Sometimes this whole recording for TV thing is so orchestrated it makes Niall groan. He’s never going to look at reality TV the same way again.

He forgets all of that, though, when the limo pulls up in, the sunset glowing behind it, and out steps Jade looking absolutely stunning in a pastel pink dress that dips down in front all the way to her stomach. Her hair is in curls over her shoulders, and the dress has sleeves, and ends around her knees, and it’s conservative but sexy all at once and Niall grins at the sight. “Hi,” she says shyly, tucking a curl behind her ear as she walks up to him.

“You look gorgeous,” he says as he hugs her. He keeps his arm around her shoulders as they turn to look at the hotel behind them. “I mean it. Absolutely stunning.”

“Stop it,” she laughs, her cheeks turning pink.

Niall smiles at her, and Jade shyly meets his gaze. There’s something there, he thinks. He feels a twist in his chest at the sight of her, feels like he’s a little bit dizzy with it, and they smile at each other for a moment before he realizes. “Ready for dinner?” he asks.

“Let’s go,” she nods.

Niall takes Jade’s hand to lead her inside the building, and they go directly to the elevator, which takes them up to the thirty-sixth floor. Jade’s jaw drops as soon as she sees the place, a restaurant so many floors up, overlooking the harbour. “Oh my god,” she says as she brings her hand to her mouth, so surprised. “This place is amazing!”

“Yeah?” Niall smiles. “I’m glad you like it. We’re over here.”

He guides her to a table next to the window and helps her sit down before taking his own place next to her, the view of the city far out behind them, the camera getting the perfect shot the whole time.

There’s food, but they actually ate before filming, because they’re not meant to eat during filming, lest they might look unattractive for a moment. Niall only rolled his eyes a little bit at that.

Instead they just take a drink of their wine and Niall drapes his arm over the back of Jade’s chair. “So… what did you think of today?” he asks. Niall’s hoping he can get Jade to open up a little, to understand her a bit more.

“I had an amazing time,” she tells him. “Like - it was so beautiful, the whole thing. I can’t believe we did all of that, honestly.”

“The flying was so much fun. Think it was my favourite part,” he says.

Jade giggles. “Especially the bit where we had to figure out how to kiss with those helmets,” she adds.

“ _That_ was my favourite part,” Niall grins.

Jade laughs even more, and it’s really nice; Niall feels comfortable with her, and like there’s something there. She makes him really happy - but he still doesn’t know about her past, or where she lives, or what she envisions her future to be. All of which is important to Niall when he’s trying to figure out who is best for him.

“So what’s it like back home, for you?” he asks. “Evil exes? A job you love?” Niall wishes he sounded more casual than he was, but the questions are out there now and he hopes Jade will be a good sport about it.

Jade takes another sip of her wine before she sets in on the conversation. “Well, I’m from South Shields, and I guess I’ve sort of just stayed there after I finished school because I like my job. I teach dance at the studio I went to as a kid,” she says. “Sometimes I help kids prepare for talent shows, like they did for me - we’ll do a song and dance routine, something fun for them to show all their friends.” She’s smiling as she talks about it, and clearly she enjoys it a lot. “Never did uni or anything - just always wanted to stay at the studio.”

It’s something she’d been worried about, and talked about in one of her interviews for the show - she worries she’s not worth dating because she hasn’t got a higher education. She’s just a dance instructor and gets by on that. In South Shields, it’s a perfectly good living for her, but she fears she doesn’t have the qualifications to do it anywhere else.

“You really like dance then?” Niall asks, and Jade nods. “That’s great. Never was all that good at it myself, but I can appreciate someone who’s into the arts. Always.”

“I like singing, too,” Jade says. “I did it for a lot of talent shows, but never really took it further than that. It’s just a hobby.” She shrugs.

“You did really well at karaoke last week,” he tells her. “You’re very talented.”

Jade smiles and looks down at her lap as she says, “Thank you.”

“So you’d like to stay in South Shields?”

Jade shrugs again, and she sips on her wine once more before she explains, “I guess I’d just like to be somewhere that I can work, you know? I need a job. I don’t want to be dependent on someone. I got that way with my ex, a bit, always wanting to be at his side or doing what he wanted, and I nearly lost my job because of it. I don’t want to be that girl again.”

“I wouldn’t let you be that girl,” Niall offers. “I wouldn’t turn you away, but I think it’s good for everyone to be a little independent. A job is good - you make friends that aren’t me.”

“Yeah,” she agrees. “I didn’t do that and it made things really difficult for a while. We broke up, in the end. He said I was too clingy, and he also said he dated me mostly because he felt like he had to. That hurt the most, I think. Pointing out my flaws is something I’ve dealt with before, but telling me that I was a pity date really hurt.” She takes a deep breath and Niall’s quiet, lets her process, before she continues. “See, my friend Jesy’s boyfriend said he knew the perfect guy to set me up with - that’s how we met. I thought he meant we’d actually be good for each other. And I honestly thought we were. But in the end he decided we weren’t. After a year and a half.” 

Niall drops his hand to hold Jade’s, and he gives it a gentle squeeze before he says, “I’m sorry he did that to you. It wasn’t fair of him at all.”

“Thanks,” she nods. “I’m moving on from it. I’m forgetting him - he’s in the past, not my problem.”

“Now you’re here, instead. In Australia with me,” he smiles.

Jade looks up at him and nods. “Yeah, I am.”

Niall leans in, their noses bumping, and he presses his lips to hers softly. Jade’s hand comes up to rest against his jaw, and they share a tender kiss with the silhouette of the city behind them. It’s the perfect end to a date, Niall thinks.

When he pulls out of the kiss, he tips their foreheads together and smiles. “I think we can both agree that this has been an amazing date, yeah?”

Jade nods, and Niall sits back to reach across the table. He picks up the rose and holds it out to Jade as he says, “Jade, will you accept this rose?”

She beams, glowing with happiness, as she says, “Yeah. Of course! Thank you.”

Niall hugs her as she takes the rose, and he kisses her one last time as they’re pulling away before the date officially comes to a close.

He hopes the rose ceremony the next night goes as wonderfully as his time with Jade did.

*

The timing is perfect, when the bad weather strikes Australia, because it’s on their last night of filming before leaving to move on to the next destination. It’s storming outside, so at the last minute production had to find a new place to film, where nobody would get wet going from one building to another, and where they could get the lighting right, without lightning screwing up a shot.

Because of that, the cocktail party is delayed, and will have to be shorter than most. Not that any seem long enough to the people competing for Niall’s heart - there’s never enough time, at this point in the process. They always want more, need more, to be sure that Niall knows who they are and how they feel.

As people get ready, they’re pulled away for interviews, some sort of content that could be used in place of a regular-length cocktail party. Louis is first, with his carefree, tousled hair and his lovely suit that accents his curves just right. He sits down just so, and looks into the cameras, and prepares to answer a few questions. The first of which is how he feels, going into the rose ceremony.

“I never want to be _too_ cocky, but I feel good going into the ceremony. Of course I’m nervous, not getting the rose on the group date, but Niall and I had a really good talk at the last cocktail party, and he gave me that gift for Freddie, so it feels like I’ve at least still got a shot,” he admits. “It looks like other people aren’t getting on with him as well, which is a pity for them but is another part of why I’m so confident right now.”

“How will you feel if you _don’t_ get a rose tonight?” he’s asked.

Louis’s smile falters at that, and he’s visibly not sitting as tall - one question was enough to deflate him, to fill him with some doubt. “If I don’t get a rose tonight, more than anything I’d just be confused,” Louis confesses. “After such good conversation, and how accepting he is of who I am and the family I’ve got, it would feel like a slap in the face to be sent home. I don’t want to regret opening up to him about Freddie. Like, I’ve _never_ told my son when I was dating someone, but I feel like I can when I’m with Niall. It’s not even like he can comprehend it but one day he will, and like…” Louis shrugs. “I’m learning to open up and trust Niall. I’d be completely blindsided if he dumped me.”

Harry’s still fussing with his hair as Louis walks past him, and he nudges him in the back. “They want to interview you,” he says to Harry. “And stop messing with your curls, they look fine.” 

There’s a pout on Harry’s face, but he goes into the room designated for interviews that evening, and he’s sat down to answer the same exact questions as Louis.

“I’m not sure how to feel, going into tonight, honestly,” Harry says. “Especially since the weather is going to mean a shorter cocktail party, I’m not sure I’ll get to sit down and really talk to Niall and let him know how I’m feeling, and to share more about myself with him.” His hand comes to his lips and he plays with it, pinching the skin to deep angry pink between his fingers. “After he sent Gemma home, for a few days there it was awkward. And then I thought it was okay again. But maybe others have gotten so close with him that I’ve missed my chance.”

He frowns as he considers the second question. “I’d be gutted if I got sent home,” he says. “But at the same time I wouldn’t be surprised. This is hard, having to pour your whole heart into something just to hope that someone’s going to feel even a fraction of that in return. I don’t know how to handle it.”

A few others are called in for interviews as well, and nobody is as confident as Louis, aside from Bressie and Jade, who’ve already got roses. All the waiting for cameras and lighting and extra equipment to get set up causes the tension to grow more and more until it’s almost too much to bear.

When Niall walks in, the lights and cameras _finally_ ready, he can feel the tension in the air. It’s thick, and it’s difficult to come to terms with, because Niall realizes that it’s all because of him. These people are freaking out because they think they could lose their shot with _him_. And two of them will.

“Alright you guys,” he begins, looking at everyone as they’re gathered together, drinks in hand. “As you all know, tonight’s cocktail party has been cut short, so we have less time together before the rose ceremony. I’d like to get to talk to as many of you as I can, so don’t be strangers, okay?” He holds up his pint and says, “To our last night in Australia.”

They all toast and then Niall’s being pulled away by Harry. The interview he did lit a fire within him and he knows that he’s got to pull Niall aside and have a chat with him before it’s too late. There aren’t many places they can go, so they have to find a sofa across the room where a camera can follow them. It’s out in the open and they can be interrupted at any time, so Harry feels an anxiety within him to get it all out there right away.

“Everything alright?” Niall asks, sensing Harry’s urgency.

“Sure,” Harry nods. “It’s just that we haven’t got much time, is all.”

Niall takes Harry’s hand in his own and says, “I know. We can talk while we walk, though.”

They’re to the sofa already, though, and Harry sees Liam check his watch out of the corner of his eye. “I feel like we haven’t gotten as close as you have with some of the others,” Harry confesses right away.

Niall nods and focuses his full attention on Harry. “I’m glad you mentioned that, because I feel the same. It’s like, the moment doesn’t seem to be right, like ever,” he says.

Harry pouts, but nods in agreement. Niall’s put the feeling to words, except the words hurt a lot because they’re so often associated with breakups. He doesn’t know what to make of it, hearing Niall talk about their relationship that way. “It’s not that I’m uninterested,” Harry begins. “I like being here with you. It’s just, after Gemma -,”

“Hi, could I interrupt?”

Harry frowns, because he knows they’ve both got to say yes, that they’re obligated by rules to let Demi step in and have time with Niall now. As he walks back to the group, Harry feels like he’s completely doomed, and he sits down, nursing another cocktail as he watches others take their turn with Niall - Demi, and then Barbara, and then Liam, and it feels like it’ll never end. 

“You could go talk to him again,” Jade offers, sensing Harry’s displeasure.

Harry frowns. “That wouldn’t be polite,” he says. “Besides, then I’ll just look like the crazy one. Or paint a target on my back.” Harry looks to Jade, his cheeks flushed thanks to the alcohol they’ve been consuming throughout the party, and says, “I appreciate the advice, though. Thank you.”

“Of course,” she nods.

Eventually, though, Harry gets the burst of courage that sometimes comes with alcohol, and he walks over to Niall again, interrupting Liam to get another chance at conversation. Niall hugs Harry and notices that he looks even more worried than before. “What’s on your mind?” he asks, watching Harry closely.

Harry shrugs. “I’m just trying to sort this all out. It’s hard, you know?”

“Yeah. Trust me, I know,” Niall agrees.

Their eyes meet and Harry frowns as he says, “I’m not sure how I feel, really. There’s so much to take in, and I don’t like sharing you with everyone else, and ever since Gemma left it’s been strange for you and I. Like dating my sister means I’m out of the question.”

Niall winces. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” he says softly. “I haven’t been doing a good job of handling that situation.” Harry opens his mouth. “No, I mean it,” Niall says before Harry can protest. “It’s not really something I ever thought I’d go through.” He looks horribly guilty as he takes Harry’s hand and says, “I honestly had no idea that saying goodbye to Gemma would take a toll on you and me.”

Harry’s quiet for a moment, reflects on what Niall’s just said, before he asks, “So it’s not just me?”

“No, not at all,” Niall insists. “I’m sorry you thought that.” He frowns and looks up at Harry. “You’re a really amazing guy, Harry. You’re thoughtful and sweet and my time with you is great. But… there’s something stopping us from being something more. Something deeper.”

Harry snorts. “You know,” he says, smiling even though the conversation is so, so, horribly painful. “There’s a very cliche breakup line that fits what you’re about to say.”

He knows what it is, and it clicks in Niall’s head just moments later that _he_ knows what it is, too, and he says, “It’s not you, it’s me.”

Harry winces as he hears it, and nods as he says, “That’s the one.”

“I’m so sorry, Harry,” Niall offers.

Harry looks up at Niall, his curls a bit frazzled but his expression still as warm and kind as the day he’d come out of the limo. “It’s alright,” he says. “Better to realize it now than weeks from now, yeah? Nip it in the bud.”

“Yeah. We can’t try to force something that’s not there,” Niall says awkwardly.

That hurts Harry, because he thinks something _could_ be there if they both just put in a little more effort, but it didn’t come easily for them when it came easily for Niall with some of the others, and this is all a process. Relationships like Niall and Harry’s aren’t going to last when they’re pitted against ones like Niall and Bressie’s or Niall and Louis’s. And Harry gets that. He understands why that is.

Harry swallows hard and says, “Think I’ll show myself out then.”

They stand, Niall wrapping his arms around Harry’s shoulders for a hug, and he offers, “I can walk you out.”

With a heavy heart, Harry shakes his head and replies, “No. I’d like to go alone. Rip the plaster off, get it done and over with.” He glances over at the rest of the group, and then back to Niall. “You’ve got a rose ceremony to get on with.”

They hug one more time, Harry and Niall both feeling heavy-hearted at their breakup, but deep down they both acknowledge that it’s what’s best. Niall walks Harry to the door, at the very least, and waves goodbye as the other nine who remain whisper about what just happened.

When Niall returns to the room proper and faces them all, he says, “As you can see, Harry’s left us. Harry and I had a long discussion about our relationship and the way it was going, and we decided together that it was best to end our relationship tonight.” Niall doesn’t look happy, though he rarely does during rose ceremonies.

Bressie and Jade stand to one side, roses already in hand, and the remaining seven who do not have roses are gathered in front of Niall, wringing their hands and looking just as unsure of themselves as Niall feels. 

“It’s been a long day, and we’ve got a lot of travel ahead of us, so let’s go ahead with the rose ceremony, shall we?” Niall says.

He reaches out for the first rose and stares at it for a moment. He knows who the clear front runners are right now, who is safe for now, but in a precarious place, and who is at the bottom. There are people putting forth a great effort, and some a moderate effort, and some who wait for love to come for them.

“Nick.”

Niall gives him the rose first, because Nick’s been a wonderful constant during the entire process, a shoulder to lean on when he’s in a tough spot emotionally, a person who won’t pressure Niall for anything, who doesn’t talk about this as though he has to _winwinwin_ but rather as an actual dating process. He treats Niall like a human, not like The Bachelor, and calling his name first is a gesture of thanks for that.

“Barbara.”

She beams, pleased to be continuing on. Niall wants to get inside her head more, to learn more about the mysterious person he’s grown even more attracted to. Niall wants to learn about the brains behind the beauty.

“Louis.”

He makes Niall feel so secure in every situation they’re in, even when it’s unfamiliar territory. He’d be a fool not to keep Louis around for at least another week, just to see how wonderful he is in all sorts of different environments.

“Liam…” 

“Demi…”

It’s down to Zayn and Selena now, and they both stand there, Zayn letting on how terrified he is, Selena looking cold-faced and prepared. They’re both able to be broken; no matter how tough they look Niall knows that he’s still got the capacity to hurt both of them, but he has to consider how close he is with them already.

Selena is gorgeous. She’s funny and cute and when she’s not pushing for something physical, Niall really likes the person she can be. There’s a side to Selena that she’s too guarded to show him, no matter how much Niall asks her to open up, to start to trust him, to try to let her walls down so they can give this a real shot.

Zayn’s got walls up too, though, only he’s not afraid to let them down once in a while. He’s open with Niall, telling him what he’s afraid of, what he can’t do that most others can. But he’s outspoken when he wants to be, he says whatever comes to mind, explains how he’s feeling regardless of how his tone could hurt others.

There are reasons to keep each of them, and reasons to say goodbye to each of them, and Niall’s spent a lot of time toiling over who should stay and who should go.

He picks up the last rose and twirls it a few times between his fingers before he finally speaks, the one name he says cutting through the thick tension in the room.

“Zayn.”

Niall watches Zayn let out a breath, the way he looks down at the ground for a moment, letting the words sink in. When he looks up at Niall once more, he’s got so much gratitude in his gaze that Niall instantly feels more secure in his final decision.

“Will you accept this rose?” Niall asks, just as he had everyone else.

Zayn nods and steps forward to take the rose, holding it gently in his left hand as he pulls Niall into a big hug. “Thank you,” he whispers, not realizing the cameras caught the words, that they’ll hear his tender voice and the relief and emotion in his words all over the nation.

Niall lets his hug with Zayn linger, fingers dancing along his lower back as they pull away from each other, and Niall gives him a reassuring smile.

By the time Zayn’s stepped away after accepting the rose, Niall realizes that Selena is gone. She didn’t even say goodbye.

“She was really upset,” Barbara whispers.

Niall understands, and he walks out the door to try to catch her, but drama makes for great television so the crew let her get into a car and leave the resort before Niall can even reach her and talk to her. He’s not allowed outside in the rain while he’s wearing such an expensive suit loaned to him just for the cocktail party, and Niall frowns as he watches Selena drive away, no chance to say goodbye or give a proper explanation.

Instead he’s sent inside with another drink in hand, to toast to the eight who remain and tell them where they’ll be going next. “Wow, what a night,” he begins. Everyone’s gathered around him in a circle, various expressions of relief on their faces. “I suppose there’s only one thing left to do tonight, and that’s to tell you where we’re headed next.”

They all watch expectantly as Niall holds up his glass in a toast. “Let’s all celebrate tonight, and our relationships, and the great time we had in Australia. Next, we’re off to Montreal. A new culture, a new country, and a lot of new places to go on dates,” he tells them happily.

He’s excited for this stop, because there’s so much to do, and there are some really great dates planned for while they’re up there, including an entire date focused around one of Niall’s favourite hobbies. He’s sure that while they’re in Montreal, he’ll be able to learn more about these people and figure out which relationships are progressing and which are stalling, like he and Harry had done. 

After the cheers and drinks are had, Niall says goodnight to everyone, and they all part ways to pack and get some rest before leaving Sydney for Montreal the next morning.

Before he goes back to his room to grab his things and get ready to fly to the next destination, Niall is pulled aside to do one last interview. He yawns, exhausted after a long, emotionally taxing night, but obliges the interviewer.

“Saying goodbye to Selena felt like something I just had to do. She seemed like she only wanted to progress physically,” Niall says. “I think she’s a really great girl, and I really wanted to get to know her. I just couldn’t convince her it was safe to put down her walls and open up to me emotionally as well as physically. Not to mention, she doesn’t want to leave LA and that’s just too far for me to move. Because of all of that, my relationships with the others progressed further and I had to say goodbye to Selena.”

“I feel more confident about letting to of Selena than I do Harry, but I needed to look at who I had progressed with the most, and those two were at the bottom of that list,” Niall says, looking serious and pensive. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and fights a yawn. “I’m sorry to see Harry go the most, I think, but we just… we weren’t going anywhere. It didn’t feel like there was as much of a spark or an urgency as there is with everyone else.” 

He frowns and says, “I don’t know. This is just getting so hard. I don’t know how I’m going to narrow it down to one person. I can’t even imagine that right now.”

Niall shakes his head, looking incredibly troubled, and leaves the interview with nothing else to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_Next week on The Bachelor..._ **
> 
> A woman dressed in a chef’s coat steps out and says hello to them. She's the head chef of the restaurant and will be explaining this portion of the date to them. “Some say you are ready for marriage when you can cook. Niall here says that he is a good cook, but we do not yet know about the rest of you,” the chef says, her French accent thick and sometimes hard to understand. “To show off your cooking skills, you will be pairing off into three teams of two and preparing three different dishes to show to Niall. He will taste them blindly and whichever team makes the winning dish will get a private cocktail party with Niall tonight before the rose ceremony.”
> 
> **
> 
> “And everything that I’m not seeing, back at the manor and hotel and stuff, that’s all okay?” he asks her. After the drama about Taylor and Harry, even though it had all been because of something innocent and honest, Niall’s been a little worried that things have been going on that he’s not aware of.
> 
> “I think so,” Barbara replies. “There are some people who are clearly good friends but we all get along, I think.” She glances over her shoulder and says, “But between you and me, I think Bressie’s unhappy with Nick.”
> 
> Niall frowns. “Really?”
> 
> “Yes,” Barbara nods. She looks serious as she says, “He got very angry that you two left the rest of us earlier today.”
> 
> **
> 
> Niall drapes an arm around Louis’s shoulders and angles himself toward Louis. He’s glad Louis mentioned being a dad, because it’s something Niall really wanted to address during this date. He feels sick just thinking about it. “Sounds like you’re a really great dad,” Niall offers.
> 
> Louis’s cheeks flush and he meets Niall’s eyes, only to notice how serious he’s gotten and for his own smile to fade as well. “But,” Louis says.
> 
> Niall shakes his head. “No, not but -,” Niall frowns. “I’m not… this isn’t me _dumping_ you, Louis. I just wanted to talk about this.” Louis casts his eyes down at his lap and his expression hardens, like he’s putting his walls back up. “It’s just -,” Niall begins. Louis’s reaction has him all out of whack.
> 
> After a deep breath, Niall tries again. “I’ve told you over and over again that I think it’s really great you’ve got a son, and I feel so honoured that you’ve shown me photos and given him the gift I got him, and I’m not afraid of this,” he says, voice sure and firm. “I’m not afraid of the potential to gain a kid out of this too, Louis.” 
> 
> Louis looks up, but he looks uneasy, like he hears Niall but isn’t so sure Niall means what he says. “I just,” Niall continues. “This is going places, and we’ve got to sort of talk about what this means, if we work out in the end.”
> 
> **
> 
> The further into this process that he gets, the harder each goodbye becomes. Niall’s terrified of sending someone home in the rose ceremony that night, scared of what will happen when he’s got to keep sending people home that he’s slowly falling for. Emotionally, he doesn’t think he can shoulder it all. It feels like too much already, and there’s still seven people left.
> 
> As Niall stands, cameras try to push their way close to his face, to get a view of his tears, his red eyes and his sniffly nose. He’s not sobbing, but he shed a few tears, the stress of the day getting to him.


	6. Week Six

Upon arrival in Montreal, Niall is exhausted, the feeling settling deep into his bones and dogging his movements. He vaguely realizes that a few fans of the show are in the airport and snapping photos, and he surely looks like a zombie, but he can’t really bring himself to care. They first took a fourteen hour flight from Sydney to LA, and then had to tack onto that another six hours from LA to New York and then made a one and a half hour jump from New York to Montreal. 

It’s a lot more than Niall was prepared for, and it’s messed with his internal clock like nobody’s business. He sees the men and women he’s still dating trudging through the airport behind him and takes comfort in knowing that he’s not alone, that he’s not the only one suffering so.

They climb into their private hire cars and allow themselves to be taken to whatever hotel is next; most sleep on the drive and don’t even have the energy to look outside at the new city that’s unfolding around them.

Just like when they traveled to Australia, the remaining contestants plus Niall are given some time to adjust to the new schedule - because of course, the crew needs it too. They’ve got two dark days with no cameras, no rules, no expectations, and they sleep through most of it.

Niall spends his Tuesday morning getting ready for the group date that they’re all about to find out they’re going on. The news gets to them quickly, a date card showing up and being read out loud, followed by an announcement by the show’s host that there are only two dates this week: a group date and a two on one. 

Most seasons of the show only have one two on one date, and by that logic, Niall’s exhausted the option when he took Laura and Harry out. This date comes out of nowhere, and the two whose names weren’t on the date card for the group date - Louis and Zayn - look wildly uncomfortable at the thought that each of them has a fifty percent chance of being sent home this week.

Louis fixes Zayn with a wary gaze, but they don’t say a word to each other.

The other six prepare for their group date, feeling relieved now, that their names were on the card, rather jealous like before. Usually not being on a group date card means a one on one - something everyone wants with Niall, at this point.

It’s summertime in Montreal so everyone is dressed in shorts and blouses or tee shirts, most of them in sandals, and everyone looking dressed up and ready to impress even in casual wear. It’s getting more and more nerve-racking each time they get ready, because there are fewer people going on these group dates and it really hits home how serious this is getting. There are only eight people left. One of these eight people could be engaged by the end of this. It’s staggering to think about.

The ride to the first stop doesn’t take long, since they’re staying in downtown Montreal where all the action is, and where all the dates will be. It feels like Europe, from what they’ve seen, with old cobblestone streets along the Old Port, and of course, everyone speaks French as their first language. It’s like a little part of France transported to Canada, and it’s an adventure for everyone, a place nobody has yet been.

The six of them walk down the street, as they’ve been told to do, and smile as they approach the camera crew and Niall. Bressie’s leading the pack, beaming, with Nick, Liam, and Demi behind him. Barbara and Jade are at the back, and Niall takes a moment to hug each and every one of them outside a gorgeous looking old brick building.

“Good morning everyone,” he smiles, looking at the six people he’s brought on this date with him.

Now that he’s really starting to develop deeper feelings for these people, it’s harder and harder for him to think about losing them. If he’d have known he’d feel so strongly for eight people all at once, he would have thought he was crazy. Niall didn’t know he had the capacity to care for so many people at once. It’s more difficult as time progresses, though, and he hopes that on the group date he can get an idea of who he’s progressing with and who he’s come to a standstill with.

“Welcome to Montreal,” he tells them with a smile. He gestures to the building behind them and says, “Let’s get started, shall we?”

They all nod their agreement and follow Niall inside and upstairs. When they walk into a classroom, everyone stares around, confused. “School?” Jade asks curiously as she slides into a front row seat. Barbara sits next to her.

Niall grins and sits down with them, notebooks and French dictionaries at each desk. Everyone takes a seat, and up at the front there’s a man who looks like a teacher, and he begins class by saying, “Bonjour, je m’appelle Monsieur Elliot!” He continues on, welcoming them to Montreal and by extension, the university whose building they happen to be in.

Everyone stares with wide eyes.

“Today we’re going to be learning a little bit of the language of Montreal,” Niall says from his seat at the front corner. “It’ll help us out during the next part of our date.”

The news is met with various degrees of enthusiasm, and Liam settles in where he’s sat next to Niall, his brow furrowed in focus as the lesson begins. Niall notices the way Liam’s scribbling down tons of notes in chicken scratch handwriting, and he tunes everyone out except the professor. He’s far more focused than anyone else there, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by Niall.

They practice phrases, repeat words, and even learn how to say _I love you_. By the end of the lesson, Niall feels like he can read the signs in the city and navigate Montreal with less help than before. Nearly everyone looks relaxed about it, aside from Liam. When they’re released from class, Niall hangs back to talk to Liam.

“Everything alright?” he asks.

Liam’s still flipping through his notebook, even as everyone else has filed out of the room to go downstairs, and Liam looks up at the sound of Niall’s voice. He’s caught off guard by Niall’s question, and he replies, “I… yeah.”

Niall closes the notebook and picks it up so he can have a seat on the desk in front of Liam. “I mean it. What’s on your mind? You’ve looked tense all day,” he says.

Liam shrugs. “Not really the best at school. Trying to learn a new language isn’t easy,” he says. “Dunno if you noticed but I was rubbish.”

“Not true,” Niall replies.

“It’s a little bit true,” Liam argues.

Niall leans in, Liam’s eyes nearly going crosseyed, and their lips meet gently. “I’m not all that great at languages either,” he offers, leaning their foreheads together. “But it’s not the end of the world if you’re not. I promise, it’s not like you make it to next week based on your ability to woo me in French.”

Liam laughs at that, and he seems to relax just a little, which Niall counts as a win. “Now come on, alright?” he says, holding out his hand to Liam. “Let’s get to the next part of the date.”

Thankfully, Liam keeps the smile on his face, and he takes hold of Niall’s hand. They take their time walking downstairs, and Niall feels like he’s a little closer to Liam now that he’s seen that Liam, too, is vulnerable. When Liam first told Niall that he was a fireman, Niall saw him as a flawless hero in his head. He’d forgotten that even people who do amazing, selfless things have insecurities and things about themselves that they’d like to change - Liam is only human, and their moment just reminded Niall of that.

When they’re all gathered down in the lobby of the school building, Niall leads everyone out onto the sidewalk and into the streets of Montreal. He lets go of Liam’s hand to be fair to everyone, and it only takes a few blocks before they make it to their next destination. “Where are we going?” Demi asks curiously, gazing around the streets of Montreal to try to find a clue as to where they’re going.

“You’ll see,” Niall replies.

They walk until they find themselves walking into a building, a sign on the door that reads _LaLoux_. It smells good, and as soon as they’re all inside it’s clear that Niall’s brought them to a restaurant. 

“Alright. So. Sometimes I try to plan these dates around interests or hobbies of mine, so you can learn about me and we can share these experiences,” Niall begins. Sometimes he feels so dumb, prattling on with a half-memorized script from the writers like this. “Well like a lot of people, I love food. Like, it’s one of my favorite things. Especially cooking it. So that’s what we’re going to do.”

A woman dressed in a chef’s coat steps out and says hello to them. She's the head chef of the restaurant and will be explaining this portion of the date to them. “Some say you are ready for marriage when you can cook. Niall here says that he is a good cook, but we do not yet know about the rest of you,” the chef says, her French accent thick and sometimes hard to understand. “To show off your cooking skills, you will be pairing off into three teams of two and each preparing a different dish to show to Niall. He will taste them blindly and whichever team makes the winning dish will get a private cocktail party with Niall tonight before the rose ceremony.”

Eyes go wide at this news; group dates always have cocktail parties at this point in the process. Losing time with Niall because their dish isn't the best is a threat that nobody wants to hear. “I hope you all have a lot of fun cooking. I can't wait to see what you come up with,” he says, grinning massively.

“There is one more catch,” Niall says as he spits people pairing off. “The recipes that each team will be using are entirely in French.”

That most certainly doesn't make the challenge any easier to face, and a few even groan in frustration. Niall waves and leaves the kitchen, the six of them standing together in pairs, recipes in front of them.

Niall knows it's probably not the best portion of the date, or the most fun since he's not even involved in it, but he hadn't had a choice thanks to the writers, but it also makes the stress of a cocktail party just a little less intimidating.

As he waits for the six men and women to prepare these dishes for him to try, Niall sits at the bar and sips on a drink. He’s pulled away for an interview not long after it, his cheeks pleasantly pink. “So who do you think is going to have the most natural talent in the kitchen?”

Niall thinks about it for a moment, looking amused as he does, and says, “You know, I haven’t really got a clue who’s the best cook out of all of them. I feel like Bressie would be, just a guess, mostly because we all sort of cook with our families back where I’m from. But Liam’s really focused so maybe him?”

“You don’t think it’s one of the women?”

Niall shrugs. “Nothing against the women but I think other people here might be better cooks than them. Just because they’re women doesn’t mean they’re good in the kitchen,” he says simply. “I’m willing to be surprised, though.”

And surprised he will be. Niall sits down at a table in the restaurant - which doesn’t open until dinner so they’ve got the whole place to themselves - and there are three delicious looking meals in front of him. One’s a steak and potatoes plate, another’s got chicken and rice, and one is pork and vegetables. And he can’t for the life of him figure out which pair made which dish.

He tries the pork one first, and it’s actually quite good. The gravy gives the meat flavor where it otherwise would have none, and even though the asparagus is a little too crunchy but it’s still really good. Niall then moves on to the chicken and rice, which is quite spicy, mostly thanks to the rice. He reaches for the water and takes a big drink, but commends whoever made it on having a really juicy, tender slice of chicken. The last dish is steak and potatoes, and Niall honestly feels like they’ve saved the best for last.

The steak is medium rare and the potatoes are seasoned just right, and this dish even comes with a pint of beer. The chef who helped coordinate all of this, as well as helped out behind the scenes in the kitchen, asks Niall to rank the dishes in third, second, and first place. Niall rubs his hands together and looks over each dish before he starts ranking the dishes.

“Okay, in third place, we have…” Niall looks them over one last time before pointing to the chicken and rice. “This one.” He looks up, to see whose it was, and it happened to be the dish made by Demi and Jade. “Sorry ladies,” he says sheepishly.

They brush it off, though look a little disappointed, and then Niall moves on to second place. “Alright, in second I would say…” he pauses, pursing his lips, and then points to the pork and vegetables. “This one.” It’s Nick and Liam, and they don’t look pleased at all, coming in second - so close to first, getting the perk of a private cocktail party with Niall.

Bressie and Barbara’s faces light up, and Niall says, “So first place is the steak and potatoes. And the bonus pint. That was such a good idea.”

“They know the way to your heart,” the chef says with a pleased smile on her face.

Niall nods and agrees, and he says to everyone, “Don’t look so sad. This isn’t the last part of the date, I promise. We’ve still got one more stop before we go back to the hotel for the rose ceremony. Come on. Bring it in.” He holds out his arms for hugs, and he tries his very best to put a smile back on everyone’s face. “All the food was delicious.”

Liam looks the most discouraged, again, and Niall hangs back to talk to him again as everyone goes to the buffet bar where they won’t be filmed. “Hey,” Niall says, bumping his arm against Liam’s gently.

“I’m just making a fool of myself today, aren’t I?” Liam asks, sounding disheartened.

Niall shakes his head. “I wouldn’t say that,” he says. “So these aren’t your best subjects. So what? If you can’t cook, it’s fine because I can. If languages aren’t your thing then fine, who cares? You’re only kind of good at the stuff we’ve done today but really good at a lot of other things. It balances out.” Niall dips his head down to catch Liam’s gaze to say, “You can’t be an expert at everything, love.”

Liam glances up at Niall and he’s frowning, but he looks a little bit more like he believes what Niall says. “Thanks,” he replies. “Let’s eat, yeah?”

Niall leans in to give Liam a soft kiss and then nods. “Yeah, let’s go eat,” he agrees.

After they eat, the seven of them go outside to get on a subway line to their next stop, as it’s fastest and Niall thinks navigating the city without being told how to do it sounds like much more fun than driving around in the back of a fancy car. The yellow line takes them to their stop at Jean-Drapeau. “This is it!” Niall says, leading them out of the subway station and up to ground level.

It’s a beautiful grassy park and it’s packed with people. There’s music blasting from speakers somewhere and it’s clear there’s a music festival going on. “It’s live music,” Niall says, grinning. “We get to hang out here and listen to music and spend some time together.”

Everyone looks pleased, but Nick looks most excited as he stands on his toes and tries to sort out who’s performing.

“D’you like music then?” Niall asks, noticing how interested Nick is in what’s going on.

Nick stands down, putting his weight back on his heels, and turns to Niall. “It’s sort of my life,” he says with a laugh. “I’m a DJ and on the radio. BBC 2 for now, but hopefully something bigger and better one day,” he explains.

Niall looks impressed, and he asks, “How did I not know this before now?”

“We never talked about it,” Nick says simply, shrugging. He’s not upset about it, by any means. He’s just always put so much focus on Niall that he hasn’t thought twice about opening up about himself. It just strikes him as surprising, that he’s made it this far without opening up in return.

The same realization hits Niall, too, and he steps closer to Nick, his arm sliding around his waist, his head on his shoulder. “Sorry about that,” he says. “I want to know these things about you. I honestly do.”

Niall looks up at Nick, who’s looking down at him in return, a fond smile on his face. “Well then,” Nick nods. “I’m a radio DJ at the BBC 2 and I sometimes DJ parties in my spare time. I live in London but I’d like to move up in my job, and travel the world, and music is basically my life.” He smiles at the end of it, and Niall’s laughing a little.

“Think that covers all the bases,” Niall teases.

Nick turns a little so he can put both arms around Niall, and the happiness radiating from Niall is contagious. “I could also tell you that thanks to my job, I’ve met Ed Sheeran, and he’s up there on stage right now,” Nick says. “And I could introduce you two, if you wanted.”

Niall starts laughing, his face buried in Nick’s shoulder. “Oh my god, really?” he asks.

“Yes, really,” Nick nods, and he kisses Niall at the top of his head. 

“Doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a rose,” Niall warns.

Nick rubs Niall’s back as he hugs him tight and he replies, “Not what this is, love. Just want to introduce you if that’s what you want.”

Their eyes meet again and Niall smiles. He wishes he could give Nick more in terms of validation, but he can’t. It’s not allowed. It doesn’t stop him from nodding though, and letting Nick take his hand to lead him up to the stage.

Nick gets them a spot over on the side of the stage and Niall stares as Ed sings the last of his set. He feels like he should be over spending time with everyone but he’s wrapped up in the moment with Nick, and when Ed finishes his last song and comes off stage _walking right toward them_ Niall gets a little breathless. “Hey mate,” Nick greets Ed, like they’re old friends.

Ed looks like he recognizes Nick, and he nods as he says, “Hey… Nick, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nick nods enthusiastically. “I want you to meet my boyfriend, Niall.”

Niall steps up, and he looks a little flustered at seeing one of the many musicians he idolizes so much. It doesn’t help that he’s blushing like mad, loving the sound of Nick calling him his boyfriend for the first time. “Hey there,” Ed says to Niall, holding out his hand.

They shake hands, Niall looking a little incredulous as he says, “Hey, nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, you too,” Ed replies. “What brings you all the way out here?”

“A date,” Nick smiles. There are all the technicalities of filming reality TV; Ed knows he’s on The Bachelor, of course, but they can’t have that narrative in the middle of the show. Instead it’s just a date and Niall blushes a little. He likes the sound of that: A date. With Nick.

“Hope you guys are having a good time,” Ed says, someone from his team coming in to talk to him about something. “I’ll see you soon, mate, alright?” he says to Nick.

“Definitely,” Nick nods, and he waves as Ed has to leave.

Niall turns to Nick with wide eyes and asks, “Did that just happen?”

Nick chuckles as he nods and replies, “Yes, it did. You were a bit starstruck. It was adorable.”

If Niall could blush any more than he already is, he would, and he buries his face in Nick’s chest again as he hugs him. “I bet I looked like an idiot, but that was amazing,” he laughs.

“You looked fine,” Nick reassures him softly. He looks down at Niall and leans in for a kiss. “Now you can tell all your mates back in Ireland that you got to meet Ed Sheeran. Will they be jealous?”

“A few of them will,” Niall replies. He stands up on his tiptoes for another kiss and they share one last moment before they see the rest of the people from the group date approaching.

“Feel like sharing there, Nick?”

It’s Bressie, and he looks a little hurt at Niall having been pulled away by Nick, as does everyone else. Niall tries his best to brush it off, smiling as he walks up to Bressie to hug him. “Hey, we were just saying hi to Ed quick, it’s alright,” he says, trying to placate everyone.

Not everyone looks all that pleased, but they hug Niall and smile for him anyway, and throughout the rest of the festival they get a chance to sit together with him, everyone on a blanket, sharing snacks and drinks and having a good time. Nick gives them some space, too, and as much as Niall wishes he wouldn’t, he understands why Nick’s doing it, and it’s actually quite considerate of him.

Bressie gets a little possessive, sitting close to Niall for most of it, and offering him wine and snacks and asking him if he’s having fun. Liam hands Niall some sun cream, to make sure he doesn’t add to his sunburn he’d picked up in Australia. He feels incredibly well taken care of throughout the whole afternoon.

Barbara convinces Niall to get up and dance with her for a while, and Demi and Jade join in shortly after, bringing everyone else with them. By the end of the afternoon, all seven of them are gathered together, dancing and singing along to the next band on stage, having fun in the sunlight, and all a little drunk, the worries of the group date rose and the looming rose ceremony gone.

It can’t last forever, though, and the cocktail party approaches faster than they’d all prefer. Niall regrettably gives them all hugs goodbye, and tells four of them that he’ll see them at the end of the night, and the other two that he’ll see them soon, for the mini cocktail party.

Bressie and Barbara meet Niall at a place that looks like a nightclub, the rooftop bar a nice, private area lit by colourful blacklights and neon lights. Niall’s standing by the bar, leaning against it with one arm, and in his suit and tie and glasses he looks like the smartest man in town. “Hey,” he says, greeting them with arms outstretched. He’s smiling wide and looks so pleased to see them that they both get butterflies.

Barbara hugs him first, and then Bressie takes his turn pulling Niall to his chest and wrapping him up in a warm embrace, and it feels like it’s right. It’s confusing for Niall though because he gets that feeling with quite a few people here. He doesn’t know what to make of it yet, what it could mean.

He gets a turn with Barbara first, her hand easily slipping into his after they each get a drink at the bar. “You look amazing,” Niall tells her as they walk along the edge of the building, the view of Montreal sparkling out beyond them.

Barbara pauses at the edge of the building, leaning against the railing, and she’s in a gorgeous pale pink dress with dark pink flowers embroidered all over the body. It’s a tank top dress, and even though it’s summertime and it’s warm out, she’s got goosebumps on her skin. The dress ends at her mid-thighs and Niall doesn’t want her to freeze, so he unbuttons his suit jacket and shrugs it off so he can place it around her shoulders. “Thanks,” she says softly, smiling up at him.

“Of course,” he nods. The breeze is a bit cool, Niall realizes now that he’s got his jacket off. He leans against the railing next to her, their arms touching between them, and he says, “I hope you had a good time today.”

“I did, yeah,” she nods, smiling at him in the moonlight. “I enjoyed the cooking, too. And the lesson. Everything about today was perfect.”

Niall looks to her, surprised by her answer. “All of it?” he asks, and laughs a little. “I thought you'd all think the French lessons were so dumb.”

Barbara shakes her head. “I didn't learn English properly until I was a teenager. I really love learning languages,” she explains. “And French is so beautiful.”

“Yeah?” Niall asks, pleased to hear that she'd enjoyed it all so much.

“Oui,” she smiles.

Niall laughs and puts an arm around her waist. He takes a sip of his drink and says, “So. You love food and languages and you travel for modeling. But where's home?”

It's very important to Niall, knowing where these people want to settle down or if they have ties somewhere. The complication of a thing like this, finding love on shows that do searches all over the region is that he's got to make sure he chooses someone whose location is compatible to his.

“I guess I don't really have a home,” she says. “I worked out of London for a while, and also Paris, but my parents and my sister are still in Budapest and always will be.”

“Is modeling something you will want to do?” Niall asks.

Barbara shrugs. “I'd like to. I still have a few years left, I think.”

“Oh?”

She tucks some hair behind her ear and turns to Niall as she says, “I'd like kids one day, but if I wait until I'm closer to thirty I can model a little longer. Five more years at least.”

Niall smiles at her, not wanting to let in that she's given him quite a bit to consider. They're the same age, but he's itching to start a family and settle down whereas Barbara wants to live that jet setting life for a little longer.

She makes him laugh though, like when she realizes he's wrapped up in his thoughts so she pulls a ridiculously silly face to break him out of it. Niall holds her waist a little tighter after that and gives her a gentle kiss.

“And everything that I’m not seeing, back at the manor and hotel and stuff, that’s all okay?” he asks her. After the drama about Taylor and Harry, even though it had all been because of something innocent and honest, Niall’s been a little worried that things have been going on that he’s not aware of.

“I think so,” Barbara replies. “There are some people who are clearly good friends but we all get along, I think.” She glances over her shoulder and says, “But between you and me, I think Bressie’s unhappy with Nick.”

Niall frowns. “Really?”

“Yes,” Barbara nods. She looks serious as she says, “He got very angry that you two left the rest of us earlier today.”

Nothing that Nick did was against the rules, of that Niall is sure, but he can kind of see where Bressie is coming from. On a group date, you expect to be with the group. Instead, they were all left behind, the five of them, whilst Niall and Nick had a good time independent from everyone else. “I’ll have to talk to him about that,” Niall says softly. He looks up at Barbara in the moonlight and tells her, “Thanks for being honest with me.”

“Of course,” she nods, but she’s not smiling. She’s just realized that she could very well mess this up for some others; whether she did it deliberately or not, Niall’s not sure. He doesn’t think she would, but he’s learning more things about these people every day.

Like how possessive Bressie can be, which is both really lovely and really worrying. Niall’s a naturally physical person, giving people hugs or standing near to them, and if Bressie can’t handle that, then it might create problems for them. He takes his turn on the date with Bressie, though, sitting next to him on a bench by the rooftop pool, drink in hand.

“How was your day?” Niall asks him, wondering if Bressie will bring up the issue himself, or make Niall ask about it.

“It was good,” Bressie nods. “I was a bit shite at most of it, but I still had a good time.” He smiles at Niall and wraps an arm around his waist as he says, “Didn’t like you running off with Nick, though.”

Niall frowns and says, “It was just for a few minutes, to meet Ed.”

Bressie shrugs. “Felt a bit like he wanted to make up for not getting time with you tonight,” he says. “Didn’t seem fair, him pulling you away like that.”

He gets it, really Niall does, but at the same time this is all part of the process and Niall’s got no control over it. “Well, anybody could have stolen me away,” he says, frowning. “It wasn’t like, forbidden. I understand how it looked to you, but I don’t think he had bad intentions when he did it. Nick’s not like that.”

Bressie nods and replies, “Well, he’s dating the same guy I am, so it’s all sort of bad intentions in the end, yeah? We each want you to ourselves.”

“I know,” Niall concedes. He gets that this is complicated. That they’re only around each other and the others remaining, cut off from the rest of the world, starved for interaction. He understands that Bressie may be struggling to deal with how this works but so is Niall. Splitting time between so many people is hard. “I know, but it’s also important to recognize that everybody is going to want time with me, and I want time with everyone else, too. And you _do_ get extra time with me tonight, so…”

“So let’s not spend it talking about Nick, yeah?” Bressie says. He’s trying to sound optimistic, Niall can hear it, but it feels like this isn’t settled between them.

Niall’s uneasy, letting the topic go, but Bressie wants to, and Niall isn’t prepared for a fight. He can show his displeasure in other ways, like perhaps during the rose ceremony. He’d thought he knew who he wanted to give the rose to but after the cocktail party, he’s not so sure.

Bressie and Niall talk a bit more about Ireland, their favourite hangout spots back in Mullingar, until they’re told by production to go back to the main area by the bar. Everyone’s waiting there now - all six of the people who’d been on the group date that day - and they’re sitting around by a table nursing drinks and waiting, the rose sitting painfully obvious out on the table in front of them.

Bressie gives Niall a kiss on the cheek before he joins everyone else, and it makes Niall flush red. He’s not sure yet what to make of how possessive Bressie’s being.

“Hey everyone,” Niall says, standing in front of everyone, trying to project confidence with his wide stance and the smile on his face, even though inside he feels more unsure, more insecure than he has in a long time. “It’s been a really interesting day, with the language learning and the cooking and that amazing music festival,” he continues. “But there’s only one rose.” He reaches out to pick it up and fiddles with the stem, the nervous habit kicking in. “This rose goes to somebody who is a source of constant positivity in my life. They’re in the shadows one minute and at my side the next, and it’s really amazing, how well this person can fit into someone else’s life.” Niall looks around and takes a deep breath before he says their name.

“Nick.”

Nobody looks more surprised than Nick himself, and a few of the others look away, like Demi and Bressie. 

“Will you accept this rose?”

Nick stands, looking rather shocked, and nods as he approaches Niall. They share a warm embrace, the rose a bit smushed between them, and they laugh as it looks sad and a bit droopy when Niall hands it over. “Sorry,” Niall says earnestly.

“It’s fine,” Nick laughs. “You just hug too hard, is all.”

Niall snorts with laughter and they smile at each other for a long moment - at the instruction of one of the producers, of course - before the shot is finished and they’re done for the night. 

“See you all at the rose ceremony,” Niall says, waving as he walks away to catch his separate cab back to the hotel they’re actually staying at.

Niall is a bundle of nerves all night, and eventually gets coaxed into taking a sleeping pill so he can get some rest because the thought of a two on one date with Zayn and Louis makes him anxious. He hadn’t planned it - he would have chosen very different people for a two on one - but the writers want good TV and Niall’s only got so much control over the dates.

He can’t imagine saying goodbye to either of them, and has no idea how he’s going to manage breaking up with one of them at the end of the day. The thought makes him feel sick and it’s probably the least he’s looked forward to a date ever in his life.

The morning comes anyway, and Niall tries his best to act casual, like he’s not having some sort of breakdown internally. He really likes both Zayn and Louis, a lot. 

When he shows up at the hotel, the entire suite is tense and awkward. Most everyone is still asleep, or lounging around in their sleepwear at the very least, and Zayn’s in the bathroom messing with his hair while Louis sips his tea. They both look about as pleased to be on this date as Niall feels, and he hopes the day isn’t too awful.

He waits for both of them to be ready before leading them off, and they all sort of look and feel like they’re walking to their doom. Niall tries his best to put on a happy face, and they share the backseat of a private car together, Niall in the center with Zayn to his left and Louis to his right. The drive is quiet, though, and Niall can feel the nervous energy radiating off of both men.

Thankfully they reach the Montreal’s Old Port rather quickly, and he takes them to the end of a pier where there sits a yacht, shiny white and sparkling in the sunlight. “Here we are,” he says, putting on a smile. “We’ll spend our day out on the Saint Lawrence river in this.”

The liner is grand and sparkling clean and it looks like something they’ll never be able to afford again. “We’ve got it all to ourselves, too,” Niall says. But that’s both a blessing and a curse, because once he chooses who gets the rose and who doesn’t, they’ll have to ride back in awkward silence, one person’s heart broken while the other remains happy.

Drinking helps, at least at first, when they’re each handed a mimosa upon arrival. Louis downs half of his in one gulp, and Zayn eyes him warily before deciding that he’s actually brilliant, and does the same thing. Niall shrugs and figures _what the hell?_ before downing a full glass. There will be alcohol all day - that’s one of the things they’re constantly given on the show - and in this case, they all need it.

Niall doesn’t want to get drunk, but he needs to take the nervous edge off. He needs to get through this date even if he knows it’ll be incredibly painful.

They all sit together on the deck of the yacht, quiet as it embarks out into the sea, until Niall speaks up and says, “I know that we’re all thinking about what happens at the end of this date, but… for now, I’d really like if we could all try to enjoy ourselves, alright? There’s some really great stuff to do and good conversation to have before we get to the rose.”

“Yeah,” Zayn nods, agreeing in a voice so soft that Niall barely hears him. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“I am too, yeah,” Louis adds.

They’re both watching Niall now, and orchestrating a two on one date feels even more complicated than a group date. Niall feels like he’s got to make the time spent with each man the exact same amount or it’ll look like he was trying to sabotage a relationship.

“Well in that case, Louis, can I steal you away first?” Niall asks. 

Louis nods and says, “Sure.”

The two of them stand and Louis reaches over for Niall’s hand. He holds it tightly, tighter than usual, and Niall rubs small circles into Louis’s skin with his thumb to try to relax him a little. They walk through the yacht, down a set of stairs and into what looks like a bedroom suite. “I may have a kid but I’m not _that_ easy,” Louis jokes.

Niall’s eyes go wide and he looks alarmed and embarrassed at the same time. “God, no, I -,” he says in a choked voice.

Louis laughs, breaking the tension that’s been settled upon them since the date started, and he lets go of Niall’s hand in favor of looping an arm around his waist to hug him. “It was a joke, Nialler, relax,” Louis says into Niall’s shoulder.

“Christ, Lou,” Niall mutters, laughing along with Louis, albeit a bit nervously.

Louis looks up at Niall, their bodies still pressed together from the hug, and asks, “So what _are_ we doing here, then?”

“Thought we could relax for a bit,” Niall replies, leading Louis into the ensuite where there’s a large hot tub, bubbling and warm and ready for the two of them.

Louis smiles, looking the most relaxed he’s been all day, and Niall’s glad to be able to afford him at least a little bit of luxury and worry-free time before the weight of the day settles over them all again. Louis changes in the room whilst Niall changes in the ensuite, and after a couple minutes they’re climbing into the hot tub, hissing at the striking difference in temperature. “I dunno when was the last time I was in a hot tub,” Louis admits as he sidles up to Niall. “Being a dad sort of limits my time for stuff like this.”

Niall drapes an arm around Louis’s shoulders and angles himself toward Louis. He’s glad Louis mentioned being a dad, because it’s something Niall really wanted to address during this date. He feels sick just thinking about it. “Sounds like you’re a really great dad,” Niall offers.

Louis’s cheeks flush and he meets Niall’s eyes, only to notice how serious he’s gotten and for his own smile to fade as well. “But,” Louis says.

Niall shakes his head. “No, not but -,” Niall frowns. “I’m not… this isn’t me _dumping_ you, Louis. I just wanted to talk about this.” Louis casts his eyes down at his lap and his expression hardens, like he’s putting his walls back up. “It’s just -,” Niall begins. Louis’s reaction has him all out of whack.

After a deep breath, Niall tries again. “I’ve told you over and over again that I think it’s really great you’ve got a son, and I feel so honoured that you’ve shown me photos and given him the gift I got him, and I’m not afraid of this,” he says, voice sure and firm. “I’m not afraid of the potential to gain a kid out of this too, Louis.” 

Louis looks up, but he looks uneasy, like he hears Niall but isn’t so sure Niall means what he says. “I just,” Niall continues. “This is going places, and we’ve got to sort of talk about what this means, if we work out in the end.” He’s thought about it and talked about it with most of the others, he just hasn’t had to be so explicit about it. So up front.

It’s one thing to ask someone about their career, and where they want to be one day, and when they see these important stages of their life happening, but it’s entirely another to sit down with someone and work out the logistics when there’s a kid involved. He’s got to be blunt and honest with Louis.

“Talk about what?” Louis asks. He’s trying to make his voice sound light, but it just comes out strained and pinched.

“Well,” Niall shrugs. “I know that it can be very important to parents so raise their children in a certain place, or around certain people, either for daytime care or to stay close with relatives, and like… I want to know what you think about that.”

Niall focuses his gaze on Louis, who will finally make eye contact with him again. Louis’s eyes look soft even when the rest of his face tries to protect a steely indifference, and Niall rubs soft patterns into the bare skin of Louis’s shoulder, trying his very best to comfort and calm him.

“Well, I’m having difficulty finding a job in Donny,” Louis begins. “I need to look more places. As much as I wish I could raise Freddie in Doncaster, I don’t think that’s going to happen. We’re not tied down anywhere, I guess.” 

“But.”

Niall can hear the hesitation in Louis’s voice and he doesn’t want Louis to hold back. He wants full honesty about this. When it comes to this, involving a child, Niall wants to do it all correctly, on Louis’s terms. 

“I’d like to be close to my family,” Louis says. He looks up at Niall and worries that this is it, that he’s just fucked up his chances with Niall, because he knows how much Niall likes Ireland and his ties to his own hometown.

Niall scoots a little closer to Louis in the bubbling water of the hot tub, brushing his fingers gently against Louis’s bicep as he says, “That’s okay. Nothing wrong with that.”

“But isn’t that what you want, too?” Louis asks.

It feels downright foolish to be talking like this, about their future and the logistics of it after only a few dates, but the process speeds things up and Niall would feel better if he knew what his future with each person looked like.

Niall shrugs and looks into Louis’s eyes as he says, “I love my family, but I travel sometimes for work anyway, and I’ve got friends in London, so like, being in England wouldn’t be the end of the world.”

Louis scoffs. “There’s a big difference between something _not being the end of the world_ and you _actually_ wanting it,” he says.

That puts a frown on Niall’s face and he says, “Do you want me to tell you that I’d pack up and move all of my things to England for you guys?” Louis stares, and Niall focuses his gaze on him, strong and confident. “Because I would. I run my own business, I can move anywhere I wanted and still have a job. So maybe this works, because you can search outside of Doncaster, find something, and I’ll join you there.” He looks into Louis’s eyes and is totally serious as he says, “We could do it, Louis. If you thought we could manage it.”

“I do, I - I _want_ us to,” Louis stammers. “It’s just -,”

This conversation isn’t going at all the way Niall had planned, and he’s quiet as he lets Louis work through the thoughts in his head. 

“This is a lot to think about, is all,” he says finally, sounding defeated.

Niall pulls Louis into a hug, warm and secure against his chest, and he tucks his chin atop Louis’s head where Louis is leaning on Niall’s shoulder. “I know it is,” Niall reassures him. “I just hope you know that I’m really thinking about this. I really care about you, and Freddie too.”

Louis lays against Niall and wants to say how he feels, but he’s too overwhelmed, too stressed out, too frazzled to do much at all. They share a few more moments together in the hot tub, but when the bubbles stop, it’s time to get out. They’ve left Zayn sitting all alone on the deck of the yacht for at least an hour and Niall’s starting to feel a bit guilty.

They walk back to the main deck where their glasses have been topped off with more champagne and orange juice, and Louis has a seat and Niall takes a drink from his glass before offering his hand to Zayn.

Once they’re out of earshot, the interviewers and cameras focus on Louis for an update. “How do you think it went?” the interviewer asks.

Louis shrugs and takes a big gulp from his glass before he says, “It was okay, I suppose. I’m not really feeling the greatest after it, because like, this is so stressful. Making room for someone else in Freddie’s life scares me. I won’t even bother lying about that. I’ve been a single dad for almost two years now, and the thought of letting Niall in is... “ Louis pauses, rephrases what he’s thinking, “He’d be a great dad, I think. Honestly. But it’s still really scary because Niall’s here, and he’s still dating seven other people besides me. And I don’t want to let him in only to get dumped.”

“Would you be ready to introduce him to Freddie if you made it to hometowns week?”

“I’d have to be, wouldn’t I?” Louis says. His knee bounces and he looks off screen before facing the camera again. “I’d do it. I’d let him meet Freddie. They’d like each other, I think.”

“How would you feel if Zayn got the rose today, instead of you?”

Louis looks up at the ceiling, blinking, trying to block out all the fears of rejection and sadness that are threatening to show on television. He takes a deep breath and when looks at the camera his eyes are glassy, but he’s not crying. “Better now than right after he meets Freddie or summat, yeah?” Nobody moves or turns the cameras off as Louis blinks a few more times, trying to keep calm. He takes a deep breath and then says, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he chose Zayn over me. Less hassle. Less baggage. Zayn can probably even tell him that he’s falling in love with him, too. Unlike me.”

Louis looks to the interviewers, waiting to see if there’s anything else they want from him. They’re quiet, though, so Louis stands up and leaves, moving toward the breakfast bar in hopes that something there will make his stomach stop churning with fear.

Niall looks over his shoulder once, to check up on Louis, before focusing his full attention on Zayn as they leave the deck. Rather than going down the stairs, like with Louis, Niall leads Zayn up until they’re back in open air. The sky lounge is bright, sun streaming down on them and the deck they’d just been on far down below. They’ve got a view of the river, and of the city, and the island in the middle of the river where Niall had been just a day earlier on the group date. It’s breathtaking view, and Zayn stares, speechless.

“Thought this would be nice and private,” he tells Zayn. “Nowhere near the water, just you and me…”

Zayn smiles earnestly at Niall and says, “Thanks. Honestly. I’m sorry about that meltdown in Australia.”

“You’re already forgiven,” Niall reminds him.

He slides an arm around Zayn’s waist and is a little surprised to see him in all black on such a warm day, but he looks comfortable anyway. He’s got on some skinny jeans - full length trousers in July! - and a black vest on, and quite honestly, Niall’s never been so attracted to someone who dresses like they want guys like Niall to leave them alone.

Zayn’s quiet, though he always seems to be, and Niall pulls him against his chest as they watch the river unfold in front of them. The yacht bumps around a little, cruising through the waters, and Zayn’s grip on Niall grows firmer. “You’re fine,” Niall says. The railing is up to their waists, and they’re not going to fall. He’s made sure of it.

“Never done this before,” Zayn admits.

Niall chuckles. “Neither have I,” he says. He kisses Zayn’s temple and Zayn looks up at him, eyes full of wonder.

“You’re really into me?” Zayn asks.

Niall’s confused, brow furrowing as he looks at Zayn with slight amusement, and he says, “Clearly.”

“We’ve barely talked since the Tate.”

“So? We’ve had those group dates, and we worked through a fight which I’ve never done with anyone else, by the way,” Niall explains. He studies Zayn’s face and tries to work out what in the world is going on in his brain, why he sounds so suddenly full of doubt. “Everything alright?”

Zayn turns back to the water and watches the city of Montreal grow smaller as they cruise up the river. “Yeah. Just thinking,” he says.

“What’s on your mind?” Niall wonders.

“Just thinking,” Zayn replies. Niall waits for more, and Zayn indulges with two words that make Niall’s breathing stop. “About us.”

Niall isn’t sure if this is going to be good or bad, and he asks, “Oh?”

Zayn nods, and he walks to the wicker bench behind them, the only piece of furniture out on the small sky deck. Niall follows, and he reaches out to put an arm around Zayn’s shoulders as he asks, “Should I be worried?”

“I’m the one who should be worried,” Zayn says simply. He looks up at Niall and says, “We haven’t exactly gotten along all the time.”

“So?” Niall asks.

“So that’s not healthy.”

Niall frowns. He’s not sure why Zayn’s putting his walls back up, why now of all days, when he just wants to talk this through, to get Zayn to open up. “Not all arguments are bad,” Niall says. “And you’ve got to consider, too, why we were fighting. I didn’t want to take you to scuba dive. I wanted to do something else with you lot, but they insisted we go on that date. They’d already made the arrangements. It was out of both of our control, that day.”

Zayn sighs and nods, but doesn’t say anything.

“We can make this work if you really want to,” Niall offers. He knows he’s in this already, one hundred percent. It’s Zayn that he’s not so sure about. “Is this you saying you want to back out?”

Zayn’s head snaps up quickly and he looks a little scared as he hesitates before he says, “It’s not that, I just -,”

Niall keeps his focus on Zayn, totally and completely, because he wants to understand what’s going on. He wants to be there for Zayn, to reassure him if he needs it. “I need to know if you think we’re going to work, Zayn,” Niall says softly. “Tell me how you’re feeling, what you’re thinking. We should talk about this.”

Zayn’s expression hardens, like he’s got to try to be brave as he answers. “I’ve been thinking about this. Like, how it would work out. I’m in Bradford, you’re in what - Dublin?” Niall nods. “I like my job. You’ve got your job. How would this really work?”

“I could move.”

“You’d move away from all of your friends and family just for me?” Zayn says. His words are more passionate, more laced with worry but far more truthful than the hedging around Zayn had done before. “I can’t let you do that, Niall. Even if you say you want that, I don’t think I could live with that, knowing I took you away from the people you care about.”

“I’d do it for anyone. If they didn’t think they could move to Dublin, I’d do it,” Niall says.

Zayn frowns. “And then you’d do what, work in a new city with no connections, going to gallery openings with me? Not knowing what to talk about? Feeling awkward and out of place?”

“I can make friends,” Niall offers. “And you can teach me about art.”

“Look,” Zayn says, cutting Niall off. He’s got his walls up, clearly, too terrified at the thought of being dumped to really open up and let Niall in. “We have next to nothing in common. Music, sure, but everyone loves that in some way or another. So what does that leave us with? I hate sports, you don’t like art, so what do we have beyond that?”

“We’ve got time,” Niall pleads. “Really, Zayn. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“It is to me,” Zayn says flatly. “It - it is to me.”

He looks down at his lap, and Niall recoils a little, feeling like having an arm around Zayn is completely inappropriate now. All of Zayn’s worries, his insecurities, are bubbling through and forming a wall between them that Zayn doesn’t want to let him through. “Relationships are give and take. We teach each other new things and we see new places and live in new places for each other. I don’t want to date somebody who likes everything I like and hates everything I hate. I want someone who will show me stuff I’ve never seen before. It’s part of why I’ve been so attracted to you. We’re so different… I think about all the things we could do together. Everything you know that I don’t,” Niall’s voice shakes as he speaks, his hands fumbling around in his lap. “But if that’s not what you want, I can respect that.”

Zayn looks over at Niall and studies him, looks at what he’s reduced Niall to, this bundle of nerves and sadness. Niall chews at his fingernail as he waits for Zayn to say something, and when he looks over, it breaks his heart. Zayn’s looking harrowed and upset and conflicted. “I think you should give today’s rose to Louis,” he says. “I just - I don’t know if this is going to work out, in the end.”

“I want us to try,” Niall says softly.

Zayn frowns. “You’d blow off what you’ve got with those other people on the off chance that we work out?” he asks. Zayn shakes his head. “Don’t do that to them.”

Niall heaves a sigh and props his elbows on his knees, his face in his palms. He vaguely registers the sound of Zayn walking away, leaving Niall up on the sky deck all alone. He hadn’t expected that at the end of the date, that Zayn would revert back to how he’d been at the start of all this, that he’d be the one to call it quits. The responsibility of that is taken off of Niall but he feels no lighter, no less stressed.

He blinks, sniffles, takes a moment to let it hit him that someone he’d been so attracted to could so easily dump him. Niall can see the cameras circling him in his periphery, but he doesn’t look up, doesn’t show that he’s shed a few tears, because he needs this moment to be as private as possible. An interviewer’s asking him questions but he’s not answering, doesn’t think he can form words.

The further into this process that he gets, the harder each goodbye becomes. Niall’s terrified of sending someone home in the rose ceremony that night, scared of what will happen when he’s got to keep sending people home that he’s slowly falling for. Emotionally, he doesn’t think he can shoulder it all. It feels like too much already, and there’s still seven people left.

As Niall stands, cameras try to push their way close to his face, to get a view of his tears, his red eyes and his sniffly nose. He’s not sobbing, but he shed a few tears, the stress of the day getting to him. 

When he reaches the main deck, he’s composed himself a little. Louis still realizes that something’s up, though, and he frowns when Niall approaches him. “Y’alright, love?” Louis asks softly.

Niall nods, the frown never leaving his face, and he reaches for Louis’s hand without a word. He knows this is cruel, leaving Louis to wonder what’s going on for just a little longer all because he’s so emotional, but Niall needs to take his time or he’ll break down all over again.

They walk into the enclosed lounge, sunlight bright and taunting on such a dark, difficult day. Zayn is nowhere to be seen. “Niall, you’re worrying me,” Louis says as they sit down on the sofa.

The rose is sitting out on the coffee table, waiting.

Louis’s eyes go wide and he sits next to Niall, watching him curiously. “Louis… I have so much I could say. You… meeting you has been amazing, and I don’t really enjoy the thought of ever losing you. I don’t know what it is about you, but you’re… brilliant. You’re sweet and you make me laugh, and…”

Niall reaches out for the rose and Louis watches in silence, like he can’t believe this is actually happening. And honestly, he can’t.

“Louis, will you accept this rose?” Niall asks softly.

Louis’s mouth drops open in slight surprise and he stares at the rose for a moment. He reaches out for it before words find him, but eventually he says, “Yes,” his voice a shocked, breathy whisper.

He reaches out to hug Niall once he’s got the rose in his hands, and he doesn’t let go. Louis knew that no matter who went home, it would be difficult for Niall. It’s why he’d been so terrified all day. Zayn looked like he had such a connection with Niall, just like Louis does. “Thank you,” Louis whispers.

The hug lasts ages, and when it breaks, Niall looks unbelievably stressed and overwhelmed. “I should’ve told you earlier and I dunno why I didn’t, but you should know,” Louis begins, reaching out for Niall’s hand. “I’m falling in love with you, alright? I like you a lot and I don’t usually say this stuff out loud because that’s just not what I _do_ , because it’s fucking terrifying, but I mean it. Okay? I care about you _so much_.

Niall smiles and sniffles and squeezes Louis’s hand. He can’t say anything back, even though he wishes he could, and instead he leans in for a kiss. “Thank you,” he whispers. And then, breaking the rules just a little, he whispers, “Me too.”

Louis hugs him again, and his arms stay around Niall’s shoulders the whole way back. Louis holds Niall against him, Niall resting his head on Louis’s shoulder this time, and they watch the city of Montreal slowly reappear through the windows of the yacht. They sit in silence for most of the ride, Louis gently planting kisses atop Niall’s head every once in a while, and when they dock, they share one last, long embrace.

“I’ll see you tonight, then,” Niall says.

Louis smiles and kisses Niall goodbye. “See you tonight. It’ll be alright,” he reassures him.

He wouldn’t be so optimistic if he didn’t have a rose, but Niall appreciates that Louis is looking out for him, that he cares so much even when he could’ve put up his walls again too, just like Zayn did.

The seven who remain are all gathered together in the garden of the hotel they’re staying at, the sounds of the city buzzing around them. They’re dressed up for the cocktail party and sipping on their drinks, waiting anxiously for Niall to arrive. Two of them have roses - Louis and Nick - and the other five are waiting to spend some time with Niall, to chat with him and see if they’ve got any hopes of saving themselves, of keeping themselves in the running.

Niall’s late, though, and instead of hearing him walk out after forty-five minutes of waiting, it’s the host of the show, to tell them that Niall is too bent up about the two on one to do a cocktail party. Instead, he’d like to get right to the rose ceremony.

As soon as the announcement is done, lighting and camera crews start rearranging, setting up the space for the cocktail party. Barbara is frowning deeply, off to the side explaining to one of the interviewers that she’s incredibly nervous, because out of everyone left, she still hasn’t gotten a one on one date. Louis is talking to Liam over in the corner in hushed tones, and Bressie nurses a pint, looking concerned.

It takes almost an hour for the crew to set up, and then they’re placed in an arc facing the pedestal that holds four roses. There are five people who want them. It’s not going to end well, no matter what Niall decides. Somebody is going to have their heart broken, and that part of the process is really starting to get to him.

He’s wearing glasses and a suit when he finally does walk out, though it’s clear that his eyes are a bit puffy and his nose is a bit red. Louis frowns and wishes he could go over and hug Niall right then and there, to comfort him. Looking around, he thinks they’d all do that for Niall, if given the chance.

“Hi everyone,” Niall greets them, though sounds anything but cheerful this time. “It’s been a very difficult week this week, with the two on one and the feelings that are growing with so many of you. It’s confusing, and I just want to thank you for letting me skip the cocktail party tonight.” He reaches over for the first rose and says, “Tonight, I hope we can all go back after the rose ceremony and have a nice, long sleep. Get ready for our next destination on this journey.”

Great might be rather optimistic, considering the circumstances, but Niall’s got to be strong. He’s in charge, here. He’s in search of his future spouse and things are finally starting to feel as serious as they should.

He scans the group in front of him, fiddling with the rose in his hands, and says:

“Bressie.”

While he may be a bit possessive, Bressie is still a really nice guy, and he’s the only person from Ireland who remains, and even if it shouldn’t be the deciding factor for Niall, it certainly works in his favor.

“Jade.”

She was sweet and bubbly all week, and he still hasn’t forgotten the fun they had on their one on one in Australia. He feels like their time isn’t finished yet, like he still has things he can learn about her, and he wants to, so badly.

“Liam.”

While he’d gotten unnecessarily down on himself after the language lessons and the cooking, he still ended up being romantic and optimistic in the end, and that resilience is attractive to Niall. He sees something in Liam that’s just too irresistible to let go of yet.

And now it’s down to two women: Barbara and Demi. He’s got a lot to consider about both of them, but he’s been thinking a lot about the future this week, considering where they’d live, what they’d do, whose dreams might have to be put on hold, and the decision seemed obvious to him.

“Barbara.”

Demi, being from the states, is just too far away. It’s too big of a move, and no matter how enthusiastic she might be about moving to Europe, it’s not a move that can be made lightly. It wouldn’t feel right, asking her to make that move for a process like this, especially.

Niall heaves a heavy breath as he hugs Barbara and gives her the rose.

Demi looks upset, her eyes wet, but at least she’s willing to hug him goodbye. Niall pulls her into a strong embrace and she melts into it. “Thank you for everything,” she says softly.

Niall nods, rubs her back to try to comfort her. “Can I walk you out?” he asks.

Looking up at him, Demi nods and slides her hand into Niall’s. They leave the garden, the remaining six left to nurse their drinks while they wait for Niall to return and say goodnight to them.

When he does come back, his eyes are rimmed red and he’s got a glass of water in hand rather than a drink. “Thank you guys for a really great week,” he says, though it feels like it was anything but. “We’ve got one more place to go before hometowns, and I hope we can all make the most of it.” He’s been instructed to tell them what dates will be happening this time, and he says, “Next week will be the last group date, and there will also be two one on one dates.” He’s beyond relieved that there will be no more two on ones, because they’re just too hard to do.

“Everyone, have a great night. I’ll see you next week, in New York,” he says, toasting their glasses. They all drink and then Niall waves as he leaves.

He’s ready for a long, relaxing bath and at least ten hours’ rest. It’s been so stressful this week he needs to just unplug from the world and recharge on his own time. Thankfully, he’s got the time to do just that.


	7. Week Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't thank you all enough for your kind feedback and your excitement week after week!
> 
> I've decided after all the questions, suggestions, comments and otherwise, I will do an "After the Final Rose" type episode as a bonus, after week 10, posted along with week 10, with some of what you guys are looking for in terms of more thoughts and opinions from the other contestants who don't win. They can confront Niall about the good and the bad, and it also takes place under the premise that they have been watching the series as it's played back on TV after filming.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! The next couple chapters after this are going to be quite long, so you have that to look forward to!

With only six people remaining, Niall’s really feeling the pressure. With a rough week in Montreal behind him, Niall’s ready to get to New York, a city so busy he hopes he doesn’t have the time to dwell on the hearts he’s broken. Instead, he wants to spend a lot of quality time with the six people he’s still got around, and at the end of it, he’ll be choosing four people to visit back in their hometowns, to meet their families and get to know them even better.

The journey is a long one, for the six of them to get to where they’re staying, to meet up with Niall again after a few days away from him, traveling from Montreal. Their interest is piqued when they have to get on a boat to get to where they’re staying. As the boat continues down the river, they pass by islands full of beautiful green trees and picturesque views, and it’s breathtaking.

Most islands look bare and empty, nothing but trees for as far as the eye can see. But then one comes up ahead and there are peaks above the trees, points of a roof, and the closer they get the clearer it is that they’re approaching a castle. “Look!” Jade says, catching Barbara’s attention and pointing to the castle.

“I know,” Barbara says in amazement. “It’s so beautiful!”

The boat starts to approach that island in particular and everyone’s eyes go wide. It’s the most luxurious, extravagant place they’ve stayed so far. It’s unbelievable to them that this is where they’re going. When the boat docks and they’re told to go up the path to the front doors of the castle, they can’t stop staring around in awe. 

Niall’s there waiting for them, looking dapper as ever in a tweed blazer, white button-down, and some navy trousers. He’s got his hair combed back and glasses on again, the thick black frames making him look more mature. _Fatherly_ , Louis thinks.

Right away Niall sees the surprise on their faces and the way they look so shocked to be in a place like this. “Hi everyone,” he grins. He looks refreshed, like the time he spent traveling helped to cheer him up, and they all walk up for their hugs with him.

“This is amazing,” Barbara smiles.

“I had no idea this place existed,” Nick says.

Niall laughs. “I didn’t either,” he says. “I had some help finding this place. Just wait until you see the inside.”

Their bags are carried in for them, and Niall takes that opportunity to show the six remaining people into the castle. It’s large and grand in every way possible, like a castle straight out of a fairytale. It’s absolutely amazing that they get to stay in a place so grand and romantic. 

They marvel at the two-storey entry and the amazing grand staircase, at the massive sitting area and kitchen and everything else they’re allowed to use during their week there. “Your rooms are upstairs in the east wing. Take your time getting settled in and exploring today, and we have our first date tomorrow. You should be getting a date card later today,” he says with a wink. “I’ll see you guys there.”

Niall waves and leaves the six of them to carry their things upstairs, to go into their massive quarters where they have the rest of the day to catch up on sleep after an early flight, for everyone to get groomed up, and to wait for the date card. Niall’s got plans to go to the golf course with a few of the cameramen.

Louis is allowed some time on FaceTime with his mum and Freddie, so he disappears into the sitting room to do that while everyone else goes upstairs to claim a bed and get ready. Since the castle is usually open for tours rather than lodging, only one hallway has been opened up to them. The castle may be grand but there’s nothing glamorous about their staying quarters; three bedrooms were opened up, a king bed in each, so everyone’s got to pair off and share. 

Barbara and Jade take the corner room with the biggest bathroom, and the guys let them. Liam claims a room for himself and Louis, meaning Nick and Bressie have got to share - even if they’re not so fond of each other. Nick drops off his bags and disappears downstairs to explore the grounds, Liam joining him for it.

Everyone gets a few hours to do as they please, until the late afternoon when they’re all sent into the kitchen to have some drinks and a small dinner. As they’re finishing, there’s a knock on the door and Louis goes outside to peek at what it was. Just as they expected, it’s a date card.

Bressie gets the first one on one date.

He tries not to look too excited as the rest looked bummed and upset, but Bressie is overjoyed, as he’s one of three left in the process who hasn’t yet gotten a one on one date with Niall. The other two are Nick and Barbara, so both are left wondering if they’ll be the ones to get the second one on one date of the week.

The next morning, Niall waits just outside the front doors of the castle for Bressie, who’s been instructed to dress in comfortable clothing - so he wears some khaki cargo shorts with a comfortable tee. It’s not exactly what he’d wear on a date, if this were a typical date, but he trusts Niall and feels relieved when he sees Niall dressed similarly in denim shorts and a vest. “Hey, chief,” Bressie greets with a smile, leaning down to wrap Niall up in a warm hug.

Niall grins as he tucks his chin over Bressie’s shoulder, embracing him tightly, the words, “Hey, Brez,” coming out softly against Bressie’s neck.

He leans back to look up at him, and he says, “We’ve got to leave the island for our date, so let’s get going, alright?”

Bressie nods and takes Niall’s hand, and together they go back to the docks where a boat takes them across to the mainland, a private dock with trees all along the shore and the hills in the park. “It’s a national park, here, so it’ll be really quiet and private,” Niall says. “I heard there were some great hiking trails, too. Thought we could try one out?”

“That sounds amazing,” Bressie replies. 

He’s optimistic that it means lots of good conversation, but he’s proven wrong. The hiking trail is actually rather challenging, and the two of them are too out of breath to talk much during their hike. It isn’t until they reach a grassy knoll atop a hill that they can catch their breath, rehydrate, and sit down for a while. There’s a gazebo on the hill and once inside it, they’ve got a stunning 360 degree view of all the land around them.

“Wow, who knew that New York could be so beautiful,” Bressie says in amazement. He’s walked up behind Niall, hands on his hips.

Niall grins and glances back over his shoulder. “I know. It’s amazing,” Niall says. “I think I’d like to come back here one day. Travel, maybe just honeymoon, who knows?”

“Sounds amazing,” Bressie replies.

He feels his heartbeat skip at the thought of honeymooning here with Niall, of being able to do whatever he wanted with him, wherever they were, because Niall would be all _his_ and he wouldn’t have to share.

They _are_ alone though, and it’s been too long since they’ve last kissed, so Bressie takes that opportunity with Niall looking back over his shoulder at him to lean in to press their lips together.

Niall smiles into it and turns around, never once disconnecting their lips. He wraps his arms up around Bressie’s broad shoulders and even though they’re sweaty and worn out, they feel invigorated at the others’ touch. “Missed this,” Bressie says into the kiss.

Eyes still closed, Niall presses their foreheads together. “I did too,” he admits. He takes Bressie’s hand and breaks away from him to sit down on the bench in the gazebo. “We should talk, though.”

“Oh?”

Bressie looks nervous, and Niall isn’t really sure whether he should be or not; navigating this whole situation has been difficult, but the last thing he wants to do is come off as critical of who Bressie is as a person. He wants to accept a person, faults and all, but he also needs to see if there’s anything he can do to help.

“Last week… you seemed a little different,” Niall begins gently. He holds Bressie’s hand and looks up at him as he says, “Kind of possessive. Jealous.”

Bressie nods, watching Niall blankly.

“I guess I just wanted to check in with you, see if you were okay,” Niall continues. “If there’s anything you need from me, just tell me, alright? I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to push you out of this. I’m really falling for you, Brez.”

Niall watches, concern on his features, as Bressie mulls it over in his head. “It’s difficult, sometimes,” he says finally. Niall frowns. “I see how happy you are with these other people and I know we’re that happy together, too, it’s just hard. Being reminded that you’ve got feelings for other people, too.”

Niall frowns and says, “You know how I feel about you though, right? Like, you know I'm in this? I wouldn't keep you around if I didn't have feelings for you.”

“I know, babe. I know,” Bressie nods. “Just gets a bit hard for me. I don't want to be a jealous prick but I wish I could just have you all to myself, all the time.”

Nodding, Niall say, “I know. This process is hard on all of us. I get that.”

“Okay,” Bressie says. He wishes like mad that he could ask Niall if they're okay, ask him for reassurance that being a jealous boyfriend doesn't mean he'll be sent home this week. He likes to think Niall isn't that sort of guy, but if four other people make better progress this week than Bressie does, he's out.

“We’re good,” Niall says softly, sensing Bressie is unsure. 

He leans in and gives Bressie a soft kiss, hand cupping his jaw. Bressie leans into it gently, softer than he usually does, and they take their time through the kiss, slow and romantic in the middle of nowhere. It feels more freeing, more relaxing, than Niall has felt in days.

Niall pulls away for air, his forehead against Bressie’s, and he smiles as he says, “We have more to do, if we can make it back down to the dock.”

Bressie laughs. “Dunno. You wore me out already,” he teases.

“Oh shut up,” Niall chuckles.

He stands up, brushes off his shorts, and starts down the hill, Bressie laughing and following in his trail. 

When they get back to the dock there’s a different boat waiting for them, and Niall grins over at Bressie as he says, “We’re going to go fishing for a while. They can apparently make us a dinner with the fish we catch.”

“If we catch any,” Bressie jokes.

Niall rolls his eyes and climbs into the boat, Bressie following behind him. There’s a guide in the boat to help them, and they find a peaceful area of river between the park they’d been at and the island where they’re staying, and that’s where they anchor and start to get their gear ready. Niall’s done this a few times before, as has Bressie, but it’s been a while for both of them so they’re thankful for the guide’s help.

They spend hours recasting their lines, having some close calls, and moving around a bit for the best places to fish. The guide catches one and puts it in their cooler, and then Bressie has a close call where there’s a tug on the line, but the fish goes loose. “So close!” Niall shouts at the water. He turns to Bressie, an arm around his waist as his pole sits on its own off to the side, bobber floating on the water, begging weakly for a bite. He looks up at Bressie and jokes, “We’ll have nothing to eat for dinner, at this rate.”

“God, don’t think that’s an option,” Bressie says, his stomach already growling at the thought of some good fish and chips for dinner. Especially if the fish has been caught by the two of them.

Shortly after, Bressie catches a small fish to add to the bunch, but the two fish they’ve caught isn’t really enough to feed the both of them - not with their appetites.

Just as the sun is starting to set and they’re ready to give up, Niall’s line starts to roll out at an alarming rate, and he rushes over to stop it. The fishing pole bends with the force of the tugging, and Bressie steps in behind Niall, arms on either side of him, to help pull back, to try to reel this fish in.

Niall turns and turns and turns the dial, hoping to catch whatever this beast is that’s caught the lure he’d put out there, and there’s splashing and struggling when he finally succeeds. The fish is massive - Niall’s eyes widen in wonder at the size of it compared to what they’ve already caught.

The guide steps in to grab the line, to hook a finger in the fish’s mouth to pull out the hook before the line snaps, and he holds it up to show them. “Holy shit, chief. That’ll feed us both, for sure!” Bressie says.

Niall’s cheering, arms up in the air in victory, and he couldn’t have wished for a better end to the fishing date. He takes the fish from the guide to hold it up for a picture, and then they set it aside. “It’s barely within regulations to take from this river. You got lucky,” the guide tells them as he’s settling everything in and getting ready to take them back to Heart Island, where the castle is that they’re staying in.

Niall sits close to Bressie on the bench in the back of the boat, leaning into him with a pleased smile on his face, his skin sun-kissed red again. “You need more aloe,” Bressie laughs.

“I’ll put some on before the date, don’t worry,” Niall says.

They’re going to part ways for a while, now that they’re back on the island. Bressie and Niall both have to shower away the scent of hiking and fishing before they get dressed up in suits for their formal date at the end of the night. They don’t get long - only thirty minutes - and it passes by faster than either of them are really prepared for. Niall tries to blow dry his hair but that only serves to make it look more friend than it already did, since he likes to dye it blonde, and Bressie’s hair is still damp when he meets Niall in the private gardens for dinner.

They eat the fish and chips before the cameras are rolling, and it’s absolutely delicious. “You caught a good one,” Bressie tells Niall.

Niall grins, and he’d blush if his cheeks weren’t already pink from the sun. After that, they’re given fresh drinks and the cameras start to roll, a brief conversation needing to be had before Niall can choose to give Bressie the rose - or not.

There’s silence, and then Niall takes a drink of his whiskey before he asks, “So did you have a good time today?”

“I did, yeah,” Bressie nods. He’s scooted closer to Niall since they started eating, and he’s got an arm draped along the back of Niall’s chair. He looks into his eyes and says earnestly, “I like being outside, and I like being with you, so like - it was honestly the perfect day.”

Niall’s face lights up and he smiles wide, so pleased to hear Bressie say that. “I’m glad,” he replies. “I really hoped you’d like it.”

“Is this sort of thing something you do a lot?” Bressie asks. “Hiking and fishing and all that?”

“I mean, not all the time. I’d rather be out golfing, but I like going for runs, and I’ve always wanted to try mountain climbing, but hiking was really fun. After today, I’d like to do it again,” Niall says. “Do you do this stuff a lot?”

“Sometimes. I do more running than anything. Used to play rugby,” he says.

Niall smiles fondly as his eyes rake up and down Bressie’s broad, strong body. “Somehow that does not surprise me at all,” he says.

“You checking me out?” Bressie asks.

Niall’s cheeks flush as he looks down at his lap, and then shrugs as he says, “Maybe.”

Gently, Bressie reaches out to tip Niall’s face up, fingers under his chin until they’re eye to eye. “I don’t mind,” he says simply.

He leans in, pressing his lips to Niall’s, and the world feels like it stops for a moment, frozen on its axis so that this moment can last forever. Niall’s heart is beating fast, he can hear the thrumming in his ears, and he cups his hand on Bressie’s jaw, thumb brushing over the stubble. The kiss deepens, and Niall scoots a bit closer, his tongue sliding over Bressie’s lower lip. His breath is caught in his chest and Bressie’s so warm, so gentle, that Niall’s head is spinning as they pull away for air.

With wet, pink lips, Niall smiles at Bressie and never breaks eye contact as he reaches over for the rose. Niall clears his throat before he speaks.

“As you know, this is a really important rose. Probably _the_ most important.” Bressie nods, and Niall takes a deep breath as he glances to the rose, and then back to Bressie. “It means I’m ready to take the next step,” Niall says. “To meet your family, to see where you grew up and how you became the man you are today. And… I’d like to get to that next step with you. So Bressie… will you accept this rose?” he asks.

Bressie smiles bigger than Niall’s ever seen before, and he leans in for a kiss, still smiling against Niall’s mouth as he does. He reaches out for the rose and his hand covers Niall’s, and they kiss softly for a moment until Bressie pulls away and says, “I’d love that. Yes. Thank you.”

Niall looks just as pleased that the date ended on such a high note. He’s found out throughout this process that some people will say no, that not everyone is going to be so open or honest with him until they’re one on one. He’s glad that the first person he chose to take this further with wants that in return. Bressie’s tall and warm and even though he’s a bit jealous, he really makes Niall happy. He’s from Ireland, too, and still lives there, which is a massive perk for Niall.

They part ways with one last sweet kiss goodbye, and Bressie goes up to the east wing to show everyone his rose. Everyone else congratulates him but frowns, because that means there are only three more roses left - but five of them.

The date card had arrived about an hour before Bressie got back, and in it was a message saying that the second one on one date was going to go to Nick. That worried Barbara right away, because she was the only one left who hadn’t gotten a one on one date with Niall. She knew she’d have to talk to him on the group date, since there are no more cocktail parties, and hope that her conversations with him then might be enough.

Nick wakes early the next morning, excited for what the day might bring. He’s been told to dress for the beach but to bring comfortable clothing for the evening, including a sweater for when the night gets cold. It’s a confusing mix of items, but he packs that bag and leaves his suitcase by the door - the protocol before every date, for easy exit if they’re sent home or break up with Niall - and then says goodbye to everyone else.

He follows the path, the cameramen leading the way, filming him walking out of the castle and down the pathway and towards the dock. As soon as the dock comes into view and Nick sees Niall standing in swim shorts and a button down, the sleeves rolled up and sunglasses on his face, two glasses of champagne in hand. He’s got a massive smile on his face and he holds out a glass for Nick.

Nick takes the glass of champagne and leans in for a hug. “Oh my god, getting me drunk at ten in the morning?” Nick laughs. “Clever.”

“What good is a vacation in a bloody castle on an island in the middle of nowhere if we can’t drink and party like we’re millionaires?” Niall replies.

“Well, who can argue with that,” Nick says confidently, smiling at Niall as he holds him against his side.

Niall stands on his tiptoes and kisses Nick gently before he takes his hand and leads him onto the yacht. It’s completely luxurious, all white and gold and sparkling in the sunlight. The weather has worked out remarkably well for them, with sunlight overhead every day so far. Niall leads Nick onto the small yacht, hands never parting, and he says, “I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”

“Have you really?” Nick asks. He’s torn between looking around at the extravagant yacht they’re on and just smiling at Niall, because he’s clearly so excited about this. Nick feels a warmth, a comfort at knowing how happy Niall really is about this date.

“Yeah, I swear, you’re going to love it,” Niall insists.

Nick laughs pleasantly, stopping in his tracks causing Niall to halt too, and he turns back to face Nick, their fingers still threaded together. Nick gives him a gentle tug, right there in the lounge of the yacht, and pulls him close. “We’ve got all day. What’s the hurry?” he asks.

Niall glances up at Nick, surprised and amused and smiling just a little, one corner of his mouth turned up as he tries to make sense of Nick, to wrap his head around how playful Nick is being.

Nick slings an arm around Niall’s waist, his glass of champagne still in hand, and leans in for a soft kiss. Niall closes his eyes and lets himself fall into it, losing any last doubts he had about Nick or this thing the two of them have got. Nick’s a complete gentleman, and now he’s showing his playful, flirty side, too, and he hasn’t even had that much to drink. It all feels so genuine and so real and Niall’s lost in it all, worries left behind on shore as the yacht takes off down the river.

“Okay, will you indulge me for a moment?” Nick asks as he breaks the kiss, feeling the movement of the yacht in his unsteady legs.

“Sure,” Niall says. “What d’you want to do?”

Nick sets down his champagne and takes Niall’s glass for him, too. He then leads Niall out the big, grand double doors and onto the main deck. The yacht comes to a point at the front, like most boats do, and Niall figures it out as soon as they keep walking right towards that point. “Am I Kate or am I Leo?” Niall asks.

Instead of replying, Nick just reaches out for Niall’s waist and guides him so he’s standing in front of him, facing the open sea. Someone from production has gone and told Nick he’s not allowed to stand on the railing, so it only makes sense that he stands behind Niall, playing the part of Leo, given that he’s a whole four inches taller.

“I’m gonna close my eyes, just like she does,” Niall says, gripping the railing for dear life. 

“You sound like an expert,” Nick chuckles.

Niall smiles, keeping his eyes firmly shut. “I might be. I indulge in a movie with a good sob every once in a while,” Niall says.

“God, you really are perfect, aren’t you?” Nick asks as he sidles up behind Niall, his front to Niall’s back, keeping him close with one hand around his waist until Niall feels steady. “Are you ready?”

Slowly, Niall lets go of the railing and spreads his arms out. Nick keeps one hand around his waist and slowly reaches up with the other, fingers dancing down Niall’s arm, slowly touching every inch of skin along the way until their hands meet, fingers sliding together, threading in and out like they’ve got their own little complicated dance. It makes Niall’s breathing stop, feeling how light Nick’s touch is, how close his body is.

Niall gets tense anytime Nick tries to let go of his waist so he keeps his hand there, fingers splayed out over Niall’s stomach as they share their moment. “This was probably much more exciting on the Titanic,” Niall laughs, turning his head to talk to Nick.

Nick ducks his head down, their noses bumping as he faces Niall to reply, “The view was probably better but at least we know we’ll be alive next week.”

Niall bursts out laughing and Nick’s got to use both hands to hold onto his waist to keep him steady. Niall turns around in Nick’s arms and reaches up to pull him into another kiss. They haven’t done anything particularly deep yet, as far as conversation goes, but already it feels like one of the best, most lighthearted dates Niall’s ever been on. Nick keeps him on his toes, keeps him laughing - keeps it entertaining. It’s clear why he’s got the job he has, on the radio. He’s wonderful with words.

After their moment playing Titanic, they sit down in an extravagant lounger on the main deck. It’s bright and sunny and Nick tuts about Niall’s skin, so Niall turns, cross legged, facing his back and shoulders to Nick. He rubs sun cream onto Niall’s skin, and then coaxes him to turn around to put some on his cheeks and nose, and then asks Niall to do the same for him.

Something about the moment is so incredibly settled and domestic that Niall feels in his bones that Nick could very well be the one. He’s so entranced by the way Nick throws himself so completely into a relationship, making Niall’s small little dreams come true like meeting Ed Sheeran or playing out the scene from Titanic. Nick’s a romantic, and he’s very sweet, and they can settle into everyday couple things like rubbing sun cream on each other so easily.

Niall curls up against Nick’s side once they’re done, skin sticky and warm from the cream and the sun, but both of them content as the yacht continues down the river. “Where are we going?” Nick asks, surprised that the boat hasn’t come to a stop yet.

“Somewhere you’re going to love. I promise,” Niall says.

“Well that’s not very helpful,” Nick chuckles.

Niall drops his hand to Nick’s thigh and laughs into his shoulder. “Not meant to be helpful. I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“No matter what, I’m going to love it,” Nick reminds Niall, his voice softer, more tender as the moment grows lazy and sweet.

Content, Niall sighs and closes his eyes, leaning into Nick for the comfort and support, for the giddy jump his heart does whenever he’s so close to Nick. “Yeah, I know you will,” Niall smiles.

When they do arrive, all Nick can see as the yacht anchors near an island is that there is in fact an island, within swimming distance, and Niall’s got a massive grin on his face like he knows something Nick doesn’t. He’s pulling off his shirt - when he’d unbuttoned it, Nick can’t remember - and encourages Nick to do the same. 

“We’re swimming? Right now?” Nick asks.

Niall smiles and nods, kicking off his shoes and abandoning his sunglasses on one of the chairs, perched precariously atop his shirt. Nick pulls off his own shirt and toes out of his shoes before he reaches out for Niall. This is the most time he’s had to appreciate how good Niall looks in nothing but swim shorts, and Nick wants to take a moment to appreciate the view.

“You’re gorgeous, you know that?” asks Nick as he coyly hooks his fingers through Nialls.

Niall’s blushing and grinning so badly he looks down at the floor as he does, unsure of how exactly to answer that. It’s one thing to hear he looks good in a suit and quite another to be on show like this, scar on his knee and little messy blonde tufts of chest hair, various freckles and moles on display. “I mean it,” Nick says, his fingers sliding gently over Niall’s jaw, his hand pausing when he’s cupping the back of Niall’s neck to bring him into a kiss. “I think I’m quite lucky, being here today.”

Niall’s hands lazily grip Nick’s hips and he whispers, “Nah, I am.”

They share one more kiss, something long and sweet and it almost grows deeper, the cameramen wanting to get a good shot, but they call _cut_ before that can happen. Niall clears his throat, flustered that they’d gotten so hot and bothered on deck in front of the cameras and crew, and takes Nick’s hand again. “Alright, so we jump in here,” he says, pointing to the side of the yacht. “Then we’re swimming over there.”

“Didn’t know I’d be getting a _work out_ today,” Nick pretends to whine.

“Come on,” Niall urges, ignoring Nick’s fake whining to tug on his hand and get him to stand on the diving platform with him. “Let’s jump together.”

It’ll make for wonderful, romantic, cheesy television, but Niall wants to do it with him anyway, because having Nick by his side for crazy stuff like this feels right. It’s a comfort. Nick clutches Niall’s hand tightly and they count off, jumping off the side of the yacht together, landing in the river with a big splash. 

The current isn’t so bad in this area, and they’re swimming down current so it’s easier to get where they’re going. They swim around a rather large rock only to find a waterfall, which has Nick staring. “Why didn’t we jump off that?” he asks Niall.

Niall shakes his hair out of his face laughing at Nick’s question. “This is even better,” he says. “Follow me.”

Niall ducks under the water and swims right into the falls, and Nick follows, the feeling of the water falling on his back as he swims under it like a little massage. When he reemerges, he realizes they’re in a cave, mossy stone walls curving around and the waterfall providing a wall between them and the rest of the world. There’s no current here, just some swirls of water from the falls, and it’s private, romantic, sweet. 

“This is beautiful,” Nick says. He wants to ask how Niall knew about it but he’s no stranger to the way this show works; the writers likely told Niall this place exists, wrote it into the date for them. But the fact of the matter is, Niall chose Nick to share _this_ with him especially, and he thinks it’s incredibly sweet.

Niall smiles and swims back toward the wall. Their feet find stone under the water and there’s a bench carved out, like the little cove is half man-made and half natural. They can sit down, like one would in a hot tub, and Nick sidles up to Niall, arm around him to hold him close. “I hoped you’d like it,” Niall replies.

Nick laughs. “Jesus, Niall. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m actually incredibly easy to please. Any date with you will be fantastic, in my book,” he says.

It’s troubling to Niall, how he can feel so warm and at home in Nick’s arms when he’d just felt that way the day before with Bressie. He tries not to think about it too much, because he doesn’t want to ruin his date. He smiles at Nick, laughing a little as he feels their noses bump, and he leans up to steal a quick, soft kiss. The gesture draws peals of laughter from Nick, who leans in to give Niall a peck of a kiss in return.

“Stop that,” Niall laughs, nudging Nick playfully. “We’re supposed to have a serious conversation now… or something.”

Nick looks at Niall, bemused, and quirks an eyebrow as he asks, “A serious conversation about what?”

Niall shrugs. “Our future, or something.” He’s grown a bit tired of the mindless rhythm of the show, and in this moment he’s not so sure he wants that.

“We don’t have to. Just forget about it,” Nick says. He knows he’s being a bad influence, that the writers will probably be massively annoyed about this, but the one on location with them isn’t interrupting. And nobody else from production is saying a word.

That makes Niall smile, and he leans in for another kiss, completely forgetting that the cameras are rolling, that he’s supposed to be asking Nick about where he’ll go or what he’ll do if they actually make it through to the end, if it’s the two of them who get married.

But Nick is a very different sort of person than the rest. He’s affectionate, he’s physical without seeming superficially so, and something about the way he smiles against Niall’s mouth makes Niall’s heart flutter.

Nick’s tongue slides across Niall’s lower lip and Niall flits his tongue out too, the kiss growing more sensual and deep with each passing second. Niall can hear his heartbeat in his ears and vaguely registers the feeling of Nick’s large, warm hands sliding over his bare waist as they kiss, until he feels the urge to be closer. They’re not close enough, not nearly making enough physical contact for it to be satisfying.

Slowly, and even though the rocks hurt his knees a little, Niall swings a leg over and straddles Nick’s lap, arms around Nick’s shoulders to keep him steady. Their noses bump and Niall opens his eyes for a moment to see Nick gazing up at him, eyes wide with amazement and adoration. “Hi,” Nick smiles.

“Hey,” Niall laughs, albeit a bit nervously.

Nick runs his hands up and down Niall’s sides, and around to his back, and holds him steady right there on his lap. “God, I adore you,” Nick says reverently, his voice soft and private, just for the two of them.

A smile spreads across Niall’s face and his whole expression lights up. Nick loves the way his words can make Niall so clearly pleased. 

Niall knows it’s probably foolish, getting caught up in the moment and saying such a thing, but before he can really filter the thoughts between his brain and mouth, he blurts out, “I want to give you a rose, right this second. But it’s back on the yacht.”

“You’re a right rebel today, aren’t you?” Nick chuckles. First Niall doesn’t have the conversation he’s supposed to, and now he’s giving away the rose before the date is even half over? Nobody from off camera comes in to stop them, or to tell them to re-shoot with different dialogue though, so Nick doesn’t let himself get distracted.

“I’d most definitely accept that rose,” Nick whispers into Niall’s mouth.

“Good,” Niall whispers back, looking pleased before he leans in for another kiss.

It’s so easy for him, to say that he wants to meet Nick’s family. He’d specifically gone on one on one dates with both Nick and Bressie after the drama of the previous week, to see what they were like totally separate, without the other to make them mad. When they’re not so bent up about what the other is doing with Niall, they’re incredible men. Niall wants to meet both of their families and knows it without a doubt.

The only problem is, that leaves two roses for the remaining four people, and Niall pushes away those thoughts by kissing Nick again, warm and sure.

Nick and Niall stay in the cove until their skin is all wrinkly and their lips are dark pink and plump from so much kissing. Niall’s stomach is growling, too, and he can’t put off going back to the yacht any longer, though he wishes he could. 

He winces as he swims back, his knees screaming out in agony at the pain of kneeling on rocks for so long, but it’s worth it. With Nick, everything seems worth it. 

They climb the ladder to get back onto the yacht and then go inside to dry off and get changed. When Nick gets to the table that’s set up with food out on the front deck of the boat, Niall’s standing there looking especially handsome in his navy blue shorts and a white linen shirt blowing in the breeze, rose in hand. “You were serious?” Nick asks, a little surprised to see the rose.

“Yeah. Of course I was,” Niall replies. “You thought I wasn’t?”

“I just wasn’t sure you could, is all,” Nick chuckles. “I’ve watched The Bachelor for many years and never saw someone give out a rose mid-date before.”

Niall laughs and feels a bit nervous, hearing that, but hugs Nick and says anyway, “I want you to have it. I’m really sure of this. I want to take this next step with you and meet your family.”

He looks up at Nick, hoping he’ll say yes, that getting caught up in the moment didn’t somehow ruin things, and thankfully that’s exactly what happens. Nick grins widely and takes the rose from Niall, arm sliding around Niall’s shoulders for a hug. “I will definitely accept this rose, love,” Nick says softly, his voice more serious than it has been all day. “I can’t wait for you to meet my family. They’re going to love you.”

That means so much to Niall he loses his breath for a moment. “Thanks,” Niall replies. “I hope you’re right.”

Nick presses a kiss to Niall’s temple and says, “Don’t you worry one bit.”

They sit down at the table and eat their lunch - though it’s more of an afternoon meal, considering they swam until nearly three in the afternoon. Nick talks more about his radio job, asks Niall what he does for work, where he travels, what his favourite part about all of it is. It’s strikingly normal conversation considering they’ve gotten so swept up in each other in such a physical sense.

Their conversation leaves Niall feeling even more secure in what they’ve got. He knows Nick’s meant to have one of the roses. Nothing could persuade him otherwise. He’s just fearful of the rose ceremony approaching, because he’s got four really incredibly people remaining, but only two more hometown dates he can go on. Two more roses. Two more people.

They eat and then go out on the sky deck to sunbathe (after applying more sun cream at Nick’s insistence, of course) as the yacht makes a leisurely course back to where they’re going next. When the sun begins to set, Nick and Niall see land ahead and the yacht slowly docks so Niall can show Nick what’s next.

“You’ll want a jumper or something,” Niall says, pulling on a zip-up hoodie, something with sleeves that are too long which makes him look tinier than he is.

Nick’s got a leather jacket that he fetches from his bag as they’re leaving the boat, their bags going back to the castle while Nick and Niall go further onto land for the last part of their date.

There’s a very beautiful vintage convertible sitting in the car park waiting for them, the keys to it already in Niall’s pocket. Nick can’t figure out what on earth they’re doing, why Niall would need a car for the two of them when the sun is quickly setting on the horizon. He gets into the passenger seat, Niall behind the driving wheel, and as soon as Nick sees it he knows where they’re going.

“A drive-in movie?” he asks in surprise.

Niall’s beaming, wide and bright, and he nods as he pulls up to the gate. He pays for their tickets, someone delivers a bunch of popcorn and water for them, and Niall picks a perfect place in the center for them to park and watch the film. “It’s an old one. Casablanca,” Niall says. “Thought you might like it.”

Truthfully, Nick’s never been able to sit through most films - he gets bored part of the way through - but he thinks that with Niall, after an amazing day out on the river together, he can manage. “I didn’t know they still made places like these,” Nick says, looking around with wide eyes, taking it all in.

“There aren’t many left, I guess, but this one’s been running for a really long time,” Niall explains. “I’ve always wanted to go to one and it seemed like something you’d enjoy.”

Nick’s thankful for the vintage car they’ve been given, the front seat a bucket seat with no console separating the two of them. It means he can sidle up to Niall and wrap an arm around his shoulders to hold him in the chilly New York air as the film begins. There’s a bowl of popcorn on Niall’s lap and they share all the typical movie date cliches like bumping hands in the popcorn bucket and Nick leaning over for a kiss in the middle of the movie, leading the two of them to snog for a good half hour. 

It really is a perfect evening together and Nick can’t imagine how they’re possibly going to top these dates one day, if they end up getting married. Before _The Bachelor_ , Nick didn’t even think marriage was in his future, because he had too much fun going out and pulling someone at the bar, but Niall settles him. Niall makes monogamy feel natural.

They wait for the other cars to file out of the theatre before Niall puts the key in the ignition, and it’s clear as they pull away from the screen that they’re both exhausted from such a long day. Nick has his head laid on Niall’s shoulder as he drives them back to the car park by the dock, and they’ve still got a little ferry ride back to the castle before they’re able to go to sleep.

Nick holds Niall in a tight embrace during the entire ferry ride, partially for body heat but mostly because he’s had an amazing day and he’d quite like to hold Niall for as long as he possibly can. “Thank you for such a lovely date. And the rose,” Nick says softly against Niall’s cheek. 

“Of course,” Niall replies.

He nearly goes cross eyed, trying to look into Nick’s eyes when they’re standing so close, and they share one last tender, gentle kiss in the moonlight before they’re docking at the castle and parting ways. Nick’s holding his rose like a prize. In a way, it is, and it leaves him feeling like he’s on cloud nine long after he’s back up in his room.

The four who still don’t have roses eye Nick warily as he walks past them and up into the room he shares with Bressie, because they know the rose means they’ve got to try even harder to get one of the last two on the group date the next day.

Liam, Louis, Jade, and Barbara all sleep restlessly that night, worried about the next day and what is to come.

Niall arrives in the late morning, after everyone’s had their breakfast and tea or coffee, and he’s looking completely refreshed. Looks can be deceiving though, because deep down he’s bricking it, worried that he’s going to send the wrong person home. He knows how much these last two roses mean to everyone - Louis especially, because his child is involved - and that matters a great deal to Niall.

After a boat ride to the mainland, the five of them get into a car that takes them into a small riverside town. Everyone’s gazing out the windows, wide eyed at the thought of what’s to come, and Niall is grinning, though he looks tense and nervous. He remembers how things went last time they had a date like this, and hopes this version will go over better.

“Oh look, Niall, it’s your favourite. Golf!” Jade says, pointing to a sign signalling that they’ve found a mini golf lot.

Niall laughs and says, “I know. I’m hoping you lot will like mini golf rather than the golf we did a few weeks ago.”

“We’re golfing again?” Louis asks, craning his neck to try to get a good look at the course.

“Mini golf,” Niall amends. “But yeah. Thought it would be fun. It’s a beautiful day out and mini golf is better. No long drives or anything like that.”

Liam and Louis exchange a look that says they’re incredibly nervous for what’s to come, but they push it away in favor of focusing solely on having a good time with Niall. This may well be their last chance to show him how much they care about him, and they don’t plan on wasting it. 

The entire idea of introducing Freddie to Niall has Louis’s stomach in knots, but he tries to be a good sport as he picks out a golf club and a scarlet coloured golf ball. Liam picks yellow, Barbara chooses blue, Jade chooses purple, and Niall’s got green, of course. “This should be a lot easier than last time,” Niall says, hoping to reassure them all.

Everyone looks to be in a pleasant mood, though, and they go out to the first hole to play. Liam was clearly very focused last time he played golf because he’s doing quite well, Jade isn’t too bad, either. Barbara laughs off most of her missed shots, and Louis is so focused on trying to do well that he ends up doing very poorly. 

By hole ten, he’s too frustrated to really carry on, but Niall picks up on it. At hole nine he’d stood behind Louis and tried to help him, but the ball hit the stupid windmill and flew right back at him. “Relax,” Niall said softly, only loud enough for Louis to hear. Louis’s shoulders sagged.

At hole ten Louis doesn’t even stand up when it’s his turn, until he sees the way Niall’s looking at him, more concerned than disappointed. Niall had heard Liam telling Louis something earlier, mentioning self-sabotage or something like that, and Louis hadn’t been pleased at all to hear it. So when Louis looks too discouraged to continue at hole ten, Niall steps in.

He takes Louis’s hand and leads him up to the line where he’s supposed to start. Niall sets down the red ball and looks up at Louis, then. “You like football, right?” Niall asks.

Louis nods, quirking his eyebrow as he tries to sort out what’s going on, why Niall would ask that. “And you’re good at it?” Niall continues.

“I like to think so,” Louis shrugs. He still has no idea what Niall is getting at.

Niall smirks. “Well then I’ve got a challenge for you,” Niall says simply. He takes the golf club right out of Louis’s hands and nods down at it. “Don’t use a club. Kick it, instead.”

“Kick a golf ball?” Louis asks, completely baffled. “Are you serious right now?”

“Yes,” Niall nods. He looks it, too. “I want to see if that helps.”

Louis looks totally unsure, and he eyes Niall warily before stepping up to the ball, angled so he can deliver a well-aimed kick at the golf ball. Louis is either nearly pro at football or incredibly lucky, because the ball goes directly down the path, around the curve, and into the hole. “Oh for fuck’s sake,” Niall says as he bursts out laughing. “Are you kidding me right now?”

Louis is staring with wide eyes, and his hands fly to his mouth when he realizes that he’s just gotten a hole in one. Liam lets out a whoop of excitement for Louis, the girls are cheering, and Louis just staring. Niall wraps him up in a hug and says, “Alright, from now on you kick like it’s a football and we’ll use our golf clubs.”

“But then he’ll win!” Jade protests.

Niall just laughs a bit more. “We’re over half done with the course. No way he can bring it back and win now,” he says. He takes the scoresheet from Barbara and looks it over, double checking the numbers in his head. “Yeah, no, there’s no way he could possibly win, even if a couple of us are really bad at the next nine holes.”

“Well thanks for that,” Louis says, sounding a bit snarky. He smirks at Niall and says, “Completely dashes my confidence.”

Niall chuckles. “It’s one thing to do it once,” he says. “It’s entirely another to do it over and over again.”

Louis points to Niall and eagerly says, “Challenge accepted!”

It puts a big grin on Niall’s face, seeing the way Louis has gotten back into the game. By the time they get to hole eighteen, Louis has caught up but hasn’t won, but he’s got a smile on his face and that makes Niall incredibly happy. He feels secure with what he’s got with Louis, being able to read him so well, to adapt and make things fun for him.

It’s the other three that he’s not so sure about, and he’s still not sure where Louis wants to go with things, if he wants to do that at all. They’ve got to have some serious conversations before the rose ceremony.

Speaking of - as they’re walking towards the car at the end of the mini golf game, Niall figures he should tell them the plan for that. “So, before we go to the next stop, I should tell you all what’s happening tonight,” he begins.

That stops everyone dead in their tracks and they turn to him, biting their lips or fumbling with their clothing. Even Louis looks unsure, and he’d just felt confident in what they had, that he’d be okay. Niall’s face clues him into the fact that something isn’t right, that something is about to change.

“The rose ceremony this week is going to be a little different,” he says. Everyone deflates, just a little. “As you all know, there are two roses left. If I give one tonight, that means it’s going to be a very short rose ceremony tomorrow night. Which is why tonight is going to be the _only_ rose ceremony. I’ll give out two roses, which will go to the two people who will make it through to hometowns, where I’ll get to visit you where you grew up, meet your families, see where you used to live before all this started.” Niall takes a breath. “Nick and Bressie will meet up with us tonight back at the castle. They’ll be there for the final rose ceremony as well, and after that… it’s back home for a while.”

He sees the way they’re getting fidgety and nervous, so he adds, “Please try not to think too much about that, though. I want us all to just enjoy our time together on the ride back before the rose ceremony, okay?”

Everyone tries, but the tension isn’t gone by the time they get back to the castle. They part ways to get dressed up, running into Nick and Bressie when they reach the east wing. Everyone’s bags are packed - even the people with roses - because immediately after the rose ceremony they’re getting back onto a boat and going to the airport, where they’re going to separate for the first time since coming together for _The Bachelor_ , to go back to their hometowns, or to go home because they have not gotten a rose.

Jade and Barbara help each other with their hair, and Louis combs back his, frowning. “I wish I had a haircut,” he mutters. He likes his fringe long, but it’s getting out of control. When he pushes his hair aside, it curls and tickles his cheek, it’s so long. He uses a bit of Liam’s pomade to make it look just right, but it’s not the way he’d like it. Nothing is the way he’d like it, because there’s too much uncertainty.

Liam and Louis have gotten close as friends since _The Bachelor_ started, but even Liam’s too tense and worried to say anything to Louis, to comfort him or to talk him down from being so nervous. They’re all nervous. It’s more than they can handle, really.

Nobody is hungry for dinner so they turn down the food offered to them as they wait for Niall to finish his interview in the room where they’ll be doing the rose ceremony.

Niall’s already dressed in his suit as the cameras focus on him. He takes a deep, shuddering breath and faces the cameras and the interviewer, ready to tell them what they want to know.

“Do you know who you’re giving the other two roses to?”

After a glance down at the ground, Niall nods his head. “One of them, yes.” He teeters from heel to toe to heel again, and elaborates, “It’s tough because I could see a future with each of them. It’s just that some futures are clearer than others and I have to figure out who I’d be most compatible with as far as jobs and where we’d live. Now everyone’s either in Ireland or England but… there’s a lot more to consider. I’ve just got so many thoughts in my head, I don’t know what to make of them.”

The doors open as producers let in the six people remaining, and Niall nods to them curtly, looking and feeling about as nervous as he does. He talks to the writers, who want to make sure they know who he’s choosing before they film, to know where to aim the cameras, and then Niall steps up to the podium.

“With so few people left, you all know that the rules say there are no more cocktail parties,” Niall tells them. “And you also know that these four roses tonight signify the next step in my relationships with four of you. Next week is hometowns, and while I know everyone here would love to get to that point, not everyone can. You’re all really incredible people, and… it’s going to really hurt to say goodbye to some of you.” Niall looks down and takes a deep breath. He swallows hard and they can see the way his hands are shaking, clasped in front of him.

Slowly, Niall reaches over for one of the two remaining roses. When he looks up, his eyes scan over everyone, and he remembers what the writers have told him about the order in which he’s supposed to choose people. Niall swallows hard, looks at everyone waiting for him to say their name before his eyes find one person in particular, and he says their name.

“Liam.”

Liam’s mouth literally drops open in surprise and he doesn’t move for a moment, not until Louis gives his shoulder a little shove. 

“Will you accept this rose?”

The tension and disappointment in the room is palpable, stifling. But Liam’s got a smile on his face and Niall tries to put all his focus on that as Liam steps forward to wrap Niall up in the biggest bear hug he’s ever had. “Thank you,” Liam says, beaming.

Niall can’t help but smile at Liam’s joy, and he kisses his cheek as he says, “Of course.”

As they break away, Liam takes the rose and goes to stand next to Nick and Bressie.

Louis looks pale and he’s avoiding Niall’s eyes. It’s down to him and two women - he feels like it’s inevitable, that Niall is going to pick a woman because there’s no way in a group of men and women he’d narrow it down to all men. That’s too ridiculous. It doesn’t make sense for someone who likes both, or so Louis thinks.

He hadn’t really considered the way probability or emotions might work out. He’s too terrified to consider much of anything, really, no matter how inaccurate or completely untrue.

Just as Niall reaches over for the last rose, someone off camera rushes up to the set. “Louis, you’ve got to take this call,” she says, holding out a mobile phone.

Louis doesn’t think twice; he runs to get the phone and asks, “Hello?”

It takes him mere seconds before he’s rushing out of the room, phone in hand, looking like he’s about to be sick. Niall follows without hesitation, rose still in his hand. “Louis!” he calls out.

“Get my bags, I’m leaving,” Louis says to someone on crew - someone he can’t remember the name of.

“Louis, wait!” Niall shouts again.

Louis hands off the phone to the woman who’d given it to him, not even looking back as Niall shouts. Niall sprints to Louis, where he’s rushing to the boat at the dock. Halfway down the dock Niall manages to catch up and when he does, Niall reaches out for his shoulder to stop him.

“Niall, I’m sorry, I’ve got to go,” Louis says frantically. His eyes are wild and he’s shaking like mad, and Niall nearly drops the rose as he’s trying to get Louis to pause for just one second, if only to explain.

“You can’t go, Louis,” Niall begs.

“It’s Freddie,” Louis gasps, looking white as a ghost when he finally looks up at Niall. “He’s hurt. They’ve been trying to reach me all day. He fell at the playground and broke his arm and I… I have to go home to him.”

Niall freezes. His heart is pounding wildly, full of worry for Louis and Freddie, but he selfishly wants more time with Louis. He was going to give the rose to him.

There are cameras surrounding them, watching the way Louis’s eyes have started to fill with tears, the way Niall’s begging and pleading for Louis not to leave yet. “I have to be with him, Niall,” Louis says wetly. He looks up at the sky and dabs under his eyes. He refuses to cry on camera. _Refuses_. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” Niall frowns. “No, it’s… it’s not the end. I…” he looks around wildly, waiting for someone to stop him as he holds the rose up between them. Nobody does. “Take this rose, okay? I wanted to give it to you in there anyway. I… we’re not done yet. I know it.”

Louis eyes it warily. “I dunno if I can keep filming,” Louis frowns. “Not if Freddie needs me. I’m sorry but he comes first. He’s always going to come first.”

“I know,” Niall nods insistently. “Louis, babe, I know he’s always going to come first for you.” He reaches a hand up to cup Louis’s cheek, brushing away a tear with his thumb. “Please, accept this rose? I want to take this next step with you. So badly, you’ve got no idea.”

Louis laughs through his quiet tears. “I… I think I do, actually,” he says softly.

“Take this rose and go take care of your baby, and I’ll be there with you in a few days, okay?” Niall says softly, looking into Louis’s eyes earnestly.

Slowly, Louis reaches up to take the rose. “Isn’t this against the rules?” he asks.

“Nobody’s stopped me yet,” Niall smiles.

“I’m so fucking scared,” Louis mutters to Niall as he’s pulled into a hug. “God he’s going to hate me for ages, not being there when he needed me.”

Niall holds him, rubs his back, and nods. “I know, Lou. It’s okay to be scared. This is a big thing to happen to a little kid. But he could never hate you.” He turns his head and kisses Louis’s cheek. “Go take care of Freddie, alright? I’ll see you soon.”

Louis looks into Niall’s eyes and there’s something there that wasn’t before. He’s now opened up completely, been totally vulnerable around Niall. He’s let down his guard enough to cry in front of him, to tell him when he’s scared, that he’s falling for him… the pieces feel like they’re falling into place. Louis even manages to forget that this could be happening between Niall and any one of the others because he’s so content in just marveling at how good it makes him feel.

He leans in to kiss Niall and whispers, “Thank you,” against his lips before backing away, rose in hand. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Give Freddie a hug for me,” Niall says as he waves Louis off.

The boat is taking Louis back to the mainland and in the meantime, everyone else gets to stick around the castle, changing into travel-ready clothes and getting ready to go. When he finds everyone else waiting up on the steps of the castle, Niall frowns. He shrugs as he says, “Louis got a call that Freddie had broken an arm on the playground. I… I was going to give him a rose. I mean, I _did_ give him a rose.” He glances around until he spots Jade and Barbara, the two of them huddled together in the cold air, gowns blowing a bit in the cool evening breeze. “I’m sorry, ladies.”

Jade nods, frown etched deep onto her face, and she nods. “It’s okay,” he whispers.

Barbara sniffles but keeps the tears from falling, and Niall gives each of them a hug before they retreat upstairs, unwilling to really let go and cry in front of him. 

That leaves Niall standing on the stairs of the castle with Nick, Bressie, and Liam. “Well gentlemen, it looks like it’s time for hometowns,” Niall says, trying his best to push back the worry he feels, thinking about Louis and what a mess he must be, traveling back to his son all alone.

Niall wishes he was still with Louis, holding his hand as he slowly makes the journey from New York back to England to be with Freddie. It’s more than Niall can bear to think about, and he’s not even Freddie’s father.

Instead, Niall tries his very best to focus on the other three for the evening, thinking about what amazing things could happen in Wolverhampton, or Oldham, or back in Bressie’s hometown of Mullingar - Niall’s hometown as well. A lot can happen next week, and the decisions he’s got to make are very important ones, because he’s just two short weeks away from proposing to somebody and starting his happily ever after.

At this point in the process, it doesn’t quite feel possible. Not when he thinks he’s falling in love with all four of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_Next week on The Bachelor..._ **
> 
> “I know you’re a lot more than golf but it’s just so nice out, one of the last good days before winter settles in,” Bressie explains.
> 
> “I’m _always_ up for a game of golf,” Niall reassures him. He slides his hand down Bressie’s arm and easily threads their fingers together. “Let’s go.”
> 
> **
> 
> “This is West Park,” Liam says, puffing his chest out a bit in pride. “I always wanted to take someone here on a date. It’s just really beautiful, and wait until you see the bridge. And the conservatory. It’s so beautiful.”
> 
> Liam’s enthusiasm is contagious, and it spreads the smile already on Niall’s face. “I can’t wait,” he says. “You’ve waited years for this?”
> 
> “Yeah,” Liam nods. “I told my parents before I left for Kent, too, that like, if we got to this point and you came to my hometown, I’d take you here. I used to want my wedding to happen here too but that doesn’t _have_ to happen, I just think it’s _so_ beautiful.”
> 
> **
> 
> “Daddy!” Freddie shouts as they walk in.
> 
> Louis smiles and picks him up, still feeling relieved to finally have his son back in his arms. He has been since he’d arrived in Doncaster upon getting the call that Freddie had been hurt. Niall closes the door behind him and stands next to Louis, hovering without speaking, because he’s not really sure what to say. 
> 
> Thankfully, Louis says something for him. “Freddie, I brought someone special for you to meet,” Louis says. Freddie doesn’t pick up on the waver in Louis’s voice, but Niall does. He scoots closer, an arm around Louis’s waist for comfort. “This is Niall. Remember I told you about Niall?”
> 
> **
> 
> After brunch is finished, everyone gets a mimosa and lounges at the table, the conversation dying down. Niall faces Nick's family feeling nervous, anxious. “So… does anyone have anything they need to ask me? Want to clear the air about something?” Niall asks.
> 
> Pete and Eileen exchange glances before turning back to Niall, shaking their heads. “Nope,” Eileen says simply.
> 
> Niall turns to Jayne, and then Andy, and then Liv, but they’re all shaking their heads. “You’re just… totally okay with this?” Niall asks, completely surprised.
> 
> “Yeah,” Liv shrugs.
> 
> “Why wouldn’t we be?” Jayne wonders.
> 
> **
> 
> Bressie's dad stares Niall down for a moment. “Moving is a big deal. You’re willing to move out of the country for one of those other people?” he asks.
> 
> “I mean, I guess. Each situation is a little different,” Niall explains.
> 
> “So you’ve worked out a potential future with each person?” Bressie's mum wonders.
> 
> Niall heaves a heavy sigh. “Yeah, I have. Asking about it has helped me figure out who it will work with, and who it may not work with,” he says. “So yes, I have figured out potential futures with everyone remaining, but I want you to know that I’m genuinely very attracted to your son. He’s so good to me, and he really makes me happy. You’ve raised an amazing man.”
> 
> “We know how great he is. What we don’t know his how you feel about him,” Mr. Breslin says flatly.
> 
> “Da-,” Bressie protests again.
> 
> Niall pats Bressie’s thigh and whispers, “It’s fine.” He turns back to Bressie’s parents and says, “I care about him a lot. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
> 
> **
> 
> Nick gazes into Niall’s bright, sparkling blue eyes and says, “Thank you.”
> 
> Confused, Niall asks with a light chuckle, “For what?”
> 
> Nick looks around at the river, the trees, the sidewalk that led them to this spot at the bridge, and then he shrugs like it’s no big deal as he says, “This place used to always remind me of my ex. You know, the man who broke my heart. But now…” his smile grows, “Now this place will just remind me of you. I like that much better.”
> 
> **
> 
> Geoff coughs and sits up a little straighter in his seat before he asks, “Liam, how about we go have a little chat?”
> 
> The room goes quiet for a moment before Niall gives Liam’s hand a squeeze and nods to him, urging him to take the time to talk with his dad. “Sure,” Liam says, sounding hesitant.
> 
> Geoff leads Liam into the kitchen where they settle in at the table, drinks still in hand. “Dad, look, I know this isn’t exactly what you’d pictured for me, but -,” Liam begins.
> 
> “He makes you happier than I’ve ever seen you before,” Geoff says simply.
> 
> Silence hangs over both men, their eyes trained on their drinks because they just don’t _have_ conversations like this, but Geoff is very right in his observation. “He’s so amazing, dad,” Liam insists.
> 
> **
> 
> “I feel so fortunate that he’s even let me in. And god, meeting Freddie was huge,” Niall says. “I’m just really grateful that he trusts me.”
> 
> “I’ve never seen him trust anyone outside our family as much as he seems to trust you,” Jay says. “Please remember that, Niall.” She frowns. “Don’t break my baby’s heart.”


	8. Week Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the hardest chapter to write and I really hope you all enjoy it. I love hearing what you think so please drop a comment and let me know. Only two weeks left after this! Fantasy suites next week ;) And then the proposal!

Niall’s thankful for a couple of days off before flying to his first destination: his hometown of Mullingar, to see Bressie. As much as he’d love to go visit his family, he knows that’s not part of the deal - that he’s here to spend a day with Bressie doing whatever he’d like, letting him plan it all instead of Niall doing the work.

Niall knows Mullingar like the back of his hand, and he’s immeasurably happy to be back, if only for a day or two. He’s set to meet Bressie at his flat, and when he gets there and rings the bell there’s a giddy sort of joy coursing through his veins. Niall’s never seen Bressie here, in Mullingar, at least not consciously. They’ve probably crossed paths more time than he realizes, and he’ll never know it.

Bressie lets him in and greets him with a massive hug, lifting Niall off the ground with it. “Ahh, I’ve missed you!” Bressie says happily.

He sets Niall down and lets him get steady footing before he leans in for a kiss, but when their lips meet Niall forgets everything he was about to say because this is nice. He likes being with Bressie, feels his heart racing at the thought of a whole day together, of meeting Bressie’s family at the end of this. “I missed you too,” Niall whispers, a secret shared between mouths.

Bressie smiles at Niall, silence lingering over them for a moment, until Niall asks, “So, what are we doing today?”

That puts a sheepish grin on Bressie’s face and he says, “Well, I know we’ve already technically sort of done this as a date, but I wanted it to be just you and me. So first, we’re heading out to the golf course. You versus me. I want to see how you can play when you’re _not_ teaching a dozen other people.”

Niall laughs, because it’s very true that he hadn’t had time to really focus on his game that date, because he’d been golfing with so many other people. “I like that idea a lot,” he says.

“I know you’re a lot more than golf but it’s just so nice out, one of the last good days before winter settles in,” Bressie explains.

“I’m _always_ up for a game of golf,” Niall reassures him. He slides his hand down Bressie’s arm and easily threads their fingers together. “Let’s go.”

Everyone at the course is the same as when Niall left, and when Bressie left, and they all know who these two lads are walking in hand and hand. It’s just that they’ve never seen them hand in hand before, so they all pause and hesitate before greeting them. “Didn’t know this was a thing,” the gentleman at the rental station says, pointing between them.

He eyes the cameras warily as Bressie explains, “Yeah. We’re dating now.”

“But you were a teenager when he was born, don’t you remember? You helped out in church for his baptism,” the man says.

And this is the problem with Mullingar, in a nutshell. Everyone knows Niall and Bressie both, because they’re not the private type and really, it seems like everyone knows everyone in this town. “So?” Bressie shrugs. Niall’s chewing on a hangnail, glancing between the man and Bressie. “I love him.”

Niall freezes and stares up at Bressie for a minute. He’s just gone and said _love_. Nothing special, no big lead-up or confession over drinks, he’s just gone and said it in front of everyone, and Niall’s brain has to wrap around it. He smiles, chuckles nervously, and cuts in. “Yeah, he loves me, and we’re happy together, so can we get a cart and get out on the course? Wind’s supposed to pick up this afternoon and I don’t want to deal with that,” Niall says.

Bressie studies Niall, notices the way he’s chewed at one of his fingernails so it’s red and raw, the way he’s looking flushed and getting a bit defensive, and he frowns. They load their golf clubs onto the cart and Bressie sits down behind the wheel to drive them to the first par. “Y’alright, chief?” he asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine, why?” Niall says, flashing Bressie a smile. “He was holding us up is all. I want to play golf! You can show me what you’ve really got, now.”

The drive to par one is stilted and awkward, and the tension only dissipates once they get out on the course and start the game of golf properly. Bressie’s much better than Niall remembers him being - he was either purposely bad for their date, so the others wouldn’t feel bad, or he’s genuinely improved since then. Either way, he’s giving Niall a run for his money and in the end it’s a close match, Niall winning by the very smallest margin.

“Good game,” Niall says as he gives Bressie a hug. 

“You were great,” Bressie says, leaning in for a kiss.

Niall grins at him and hopes that things aren’t too weird, that he can get past the hiccup earlier where he felt a bit uncomfortable, thinking about the implications of their age gap. He’d never really considered it, nor did he think it was that big of a deal, but now that he sees the way others are receiving the news in their hometown, Niall’s starting to have his doubts.

It feels better when they leave the golf course though, and they start talking about Bressie’s family. “Right so today you’ll be meeting everyone,” Bressie says, hand draped over the steering wheel of the car. “It may be a bit overwhelming but I’ve told them not to be too scary alright?”

“Alright. What are their names again?” Niall asks. They’d gone over everything at the course, Bressie listing off all his siblings’ names and the like, but Niall’s nervous and forgetting things now that they’re on the way.

He’s got flowers in hand to give to Bressie’s mum, and he’s going through the names in his head, hoping he won’t make a total bollocks of it when they arrive.

They park outside a very average looking house, and there’s no welcoming party out front - Niall wasn’t sure what to expect - and now he’s ready to get inside and meet them all. He climbs out and follows Bressie to the door, where everyone seems to be gathered, waiting. The door opens before either of them can even reach out for the doorknob.

It’s a flurry of hellos, hugs, and Niall tries his best to offer flowers to Bressie’s mum as a hello. After only a couple of minutes things quiet down though, and Niall gravitates to Bressie’s side, the silence settling back over them. Bressie is beaming, looking out at his family, an arm around Niall’s waist. “Everyone, this is Niall, Niall this is everyone,” he says, gesturing to the crowd.

Bressie’s parents repeat their names and shake his hand, and then his siblings do the same, but Niall can’t for the life of him remember anything. He’s too overwhelmed, too worried about what they’ll think, to really focus.

There’s a massive roast dinner served up, even though it’s Monday. “Brez told us it was your favourite meal, so I made it especially for you,” Bressie’s mum - her name starts with an ‘M’, that much Niall remembers - says with a smile on her face.

“Let me help,” Niall offers.

She doesn’t argue, and instead lets him follow back into the kitchen. She’s still got the bouquet in her hands and once in the kitchen, Bressie’s mum puts them in a vase. “What can I help with M-,” he pauses nervously, forgetting her name.

“Mandy,” she says. “You’re a nervous one, aren’t you?”

Niall brings his hand to his mouth without thinking, chewing on a hangnail. “No,” he says, hoping not to make her uncomfortable.

She fixes him with a look that says she knows better, and sets the vase in the middle of the table. “It’s alright. This a very big deal, meeting the parents,” Mandy says knowingly.

“It really is,” Niall agrees. He’s got knots in his stomach. “I don’t often get this nervous, I’ve just never met someone’s parents before.”

“And now you’ve got a whole week of it,” she finishes for him knowingly.

Niall looks up sharply, dropping his hand to the counter. He senses something in her voice, something like disapproval. Mandy puts a bowl down on the counter and focuses her full attention on Niall for a moment. “I’m not going to pretend I’m okay with the situation when I’m not,” she tells him simply. “My boy is going to do whatever he pleases but knowing you’re dating other people while still dating him makes me very nervous.” She gives him a soft smile though, and says, “But try to relax, alright? We’re going to have a nice dinner, and Enda wants to have a good talk with you, and we’re not going to kick you to the kerb, I promise.”

 _Enda_ , Niall thinks. _That was his name._ If anyone is more terrifying than Bressie’s mum, it’s his dad, an ex-military officer who stared Niall down upon arrival.

He swallows hard and nods, and she stares him down one last time before turning to gather some dishes. Mandy slides the dishes to Niall and he sets the table, left to his thoughts. He chews on his lip and feels a heaviness in his chest. This isn’t exactly what he’d been hoping for when he imagined meeting Bressie’s family. She wasn’t even that harsh but Niall’s not used to people disliking him from the very start, and he’s having trouble dealing with it.

Niall doesn’t say a word as he puts out the plates and the glasses and the forks and spoons and knives. Bressie walks in shortly after and looks from his mum, and then to Niall who looks deflated and scared, and then back to his mum. “Bloody hell, mum, seriously?” Bressie asks, before he reaches out for Niall’s hand. 

“Stop doing that,” Bressie says to Niall. “You’re our guest, you shouldn’t have to set everything up. Come on.”

Niall’s hesitant as he looks from Bressie to Mandy, and then nods, quietly ducking his head and following Bressie out the door. “I’m sorry about that,” Bressie says.

The grass is damp as they walk out into the back garden, and there’s fog settling around them as night falls. “It’s fine,” Niall insists.

“She upset you,” Bressie says as he studies Niall, their footsteps slow and soft. “What did she say? I’ve never seen you look this upset before, and I want to make it right.”

Niall takes a deep breath. “I completely deserved it,” Niall says. “Don’t feel bad, okay? I need to expect the same thing from everyone else, too.”

“Just tell me, please,” Bressie pleads.

They come to a stop by an old tire swing in the tree, Niall eyeing it for a moment, imagining young, tiny Bressie swinging here with his siblings, smiling and having fun. “She’s just not happy about the situation. The fact that I’m dating other people, too,” Niall shrugs. “That’s it. She doesn’t like it and we can’t fault her for that.”

“She shouldn’ta told you, though. We’re all supposed to be meeting each other and making good impressions, so her telling you that makes no sense,” Bressie huffs.

Niall places a hand softly on Bressie’s bicep and looks up into his eyes. “It’s fine,” he insists. “This is part of the deal. Hometowns mean learning everyone’s concerns, trying to reassure them if we can, trying to make sure we’ve got everything covered that needs to be. Figuring out if this is really going to work.”

Bressie looks unsure, but doesn’t argue anymore. “I’m still sorry, though,” he offers.

“Don’t be,” Niall says. “It’s your dad I’m most scared of, to be honest.”

Bressie frowns. “It’ll be fine. You’re amazing. They’ll see that, I swear,” he insists.

Mandy calls them in for dinner and after eating their fill of roast and potatoes, Niall and Bressie sit down with both of Bressie’s parents, his older siblings going home to put their kids to bed. The crew wants to split them up, have Niall talk to Enda one on one or something like that, but Bressie’s father Enda shakes his head and insists, “Anything I have to say can be said in front of both of them.”

Nobody wants to argue with him, so Niall and Bressie sit down on one sofa, facing Enda and Mandy on the other. Bressie’s got his arm protectively wrapped around Niall, and Niall wants so badly to start biting his fingernails but he’s too scared to move, really. The man is staring him down and it’s enough to root Niall to the spot.

He swallows hard and prepares for the toughest conversation he’ll ever have, and he does it with a hand on Bressie’s thigh to steady him.

“So you’re dating three other people too?” Enda starts.

Niall nods and says, “Yes, sir. For now.”

“You can understand my concern, then, when I wonder what you’re doing here. How are we going to know you truly care about our son?” Enda asks.

“Da-,” Bressie sighs.

“It’s fine. It’s a fair question,” Niall says softly. His voice is stronger and he tries to sound more confident as he says, “Look - I care about your son a lot. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. He’s brilliant, and he makes me so happy, and I honestly couldn’t be happier that he’s from Ireland, too.”

“You want to stay in Ireland then?” Mandy asks.

Niall shrugs. “I dunno. I have my own business so I could live anywhere, really, but the idea of staying here is great. I’m based in Dublin right now but moving back to the Gar might not be so bad.”

Enda stares Niall down for a moment. “Moving is a big deal. You’re willing to move out of the country for one of those other people?” he asks.

“I mean, I guess. Each situation is a little different,” Niall explains.

“So you’ve worked out a potential future with each person?” Mandy wonders.

Niall heaves a heavy sigh. “Yeah, I have. Asking about it has helped me figure out who it will work with, and who it may not work with,” he says. “So yes, I have figured out potential futures with everyone remaining, but I want you to know that I’m genuinely very attracted to your son. He’s so good to me, and he really makes me happy. You’ve raised an amazing man.”

“We know how great he is. What we don’t know his how you feel about him,” Enda says flatly.

“Da-,” Bressie protests again.

Niall pats Bressie’s thigh and whispers, “It’s fine.” He turns back to Bressie’s parents and says, “I care about him a lot. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

Both Mandy and Enda look skeptically at Niall, and he feels like he’s under a microscope, every flaw, every twinge of nervousness noticed by them. After one very long, intimidating stare-down, Enda turns to Bressie and says, “And you? It doesn’t bother you that when he was born, you were a teenager? You’re at different places in your lives and will be, forever. You’ve got a niece just two years younger than him.”

“Niall’s great,” Bressie says firmly. “He’s mature for his age, and age is just a number. We can do this. We were so excited for today and you lot have gone and ruined it, so you know. Niall is usually so happy but around you he’s not. You scared the hell out of him.”

“Brez-,” Niall tries to interrupt.

He frowns when he’s cut off by Bressie’s dad, who says, “Age will be a problem eventually, you just wait and see.”

“Oh for Christ’s sake,” Bressie mutters.

“We’ve got to go,” calls someone off-camera. “Niall has to get to Dublin to catch a flight. Wrap it up please.”

Niall frowns and Bressie heaves a sigh. “I should go,” Niall says simply. He stands up and tries not to think too much about Enda and Mandy and the fact that they’re not getting up to see him out.

Bressie walks Niall out the door and down the front walk. There’s a car waiting out front and before Niall even has a chance to reach out for the door handle, Bressie’s pulling him into a hug. “I’m so sorry,” he says softly. “Honestly. I had no idea they’d be so rough.”

“It’s not your fault,” Niall insists. He looks up at Bressie, into his eyes, and it’s the smallest Bressie’s ever seen Niall look.

“I want to make it up to you,” Bressie insists.

Niall reaches down to hold Bressie’s hands. “What they said doesn’t change how I feel about you,” Niall insists. “Family is something we can overcome. They can get used to the idea. Please, don’t worry about it, okay? Don’t stress over how tonight went. We’ve got a bunch of good dates to prove that we work together.”

Bressie’s frowning, but he nods and doesn’t argue with Niall. “I love you,” he repeats. “I love you _so_ much.”

Niall pulls Bressie into a kiss, the rules stipulating that he can’t say it back even if he wants to. The kiss feels off, the way their whole evening has. “It’ll all be alright,” Bressie whispers. “We’ll be okay. My parents will warm up to this.”

Niall nods, and he wraps Bressie up into a big hug. “Thanks for today. It was fun,” Niall says. He hesitates. “Well, most of it.”

“I’m sorry,” Bressie says. “Just… think about the golf when you think about today.”

Niall laughs a little and nods. “Okay. Deal.”

Bressie gives Niall one last gentle kiss before opening the car door for Niall so he can get in. 

*

Showing up in Wolverhampton two days after the not-so-great hometown visit with Bressie has Nial feeling sick with nerves. He hopes all the hometown dates won’t be as bad as the first, and he doesn’t know what to expect with Liam’s family. Liam is so sweet and kind and Niall hopes like hell that he’s got a family who acts the same.

Liam meets him at the edge of West Park, two cups of coffee in hand. Niall grins as he approaches, and they share a warm hug before Liam offers a coffee. “Good morning, I’ve missed you,” Liam says warmly.

“I missed you too,” Niall replies. He leans in to kiss Liam, soft and sweet, and all his worries disappear. 

Liam is such a warm, familiar presence in Niall’s life and he didn’t realize how much he’d missed his crinkly-eyed smile until he’d been away from Liam for almost a full week. The pure joy on Liam’s face at seeing Niall in his hometown of Wolverhampton is wonderful, and it wipes away any doubts he might’ve had.

“So where are we?” Niall asks as he’s led into a beautiful grassy area, hand in hand with Liam.

“This is West Park,” Liam says, puffing his chest out a bit in pride. “I always wanted to take someone here on a date. It’s just really beautiful, and wait until you see the bridge. And the conservatory. It’s so beautiful.”

Liam’s enthusiasm is contagious, and it spreads the smile already on Niall’s face. “I can’t wait,” he says. “You’ve waited years for this?”

“Yeah,” Liam nods. “I told my parents before I left for Kent, too, that like, if we got to this point and you came to my hometown, I’d take you here. I used to want my wedding to happen here too but that doesn’t _have_ to happen, I just think it’s _so_ beautiful.”

“It really is,” Niall agrees, walking along with path with Liam, hand in hand. The trees are bright green and there’s sunlight streaming down from behind a few angry gray clouds. A pond sparkles ahead and he can see the very bridge Liam had been talking about. “I could see getting married here. It's lovely.”

Liam’s holding Niall’s hand and leading him right up to the bridge, and the crew asks them to stop there and have a chat so they can get some good long shots of the two of them in such a picturesque location. Liam laughs nervously and it doesn’t go unnoticed by Niall. In an attempt to help ease his nerves, Niall reaches out for Liam, arms draped around his shoulders, and whispers, “Just focus on me.”

“I’m not used to being the center of your attention,” Liam replies earnestly.

“Well you are today,” Niall says, and he feels a twist in his gut because Liam’s never felt so focused upon before. “And I’m sorry this is the first time you’re feeling this.”

“I mean, we had our one on one -,” Liam says, trying to backtrack, to fix what he’s said.

“The other times,” Niall corrects. He looks into Liam’s eyes and catches his gaze before he says, “You’re the center of my attention today, and I adore you, alright?”

Liam smiles sheepishly, ducking his head down, gaze dropping to the ground as he smiles. His cheeks are flushed pink and he pulls Niall into a hug, arms wrapping so easily and instinctively around Niall’s waist. “You’re not so bad yourself,” Liam murmurs into Niall’s shoulder.

“You’ve made it this far for a reason,” Niall offers, hoping it’ll help drive the point home that he really does care about Liam, thinks about him all the time.

Ever since their date in Montreal, the one with the French lessons, Liam has been on Niall’s mind. Something about him is so intriguing, that he can be so brave and strong as a firefighter, but so unsure of himself at the same time. He’s got flaws like everyone else, but he seems to take them to heart in a way that the others don’t. Niall’s train of thought leads him to blurt out, “I wish you saw yourself the way I see you. You’re so amazing.”

Liam looks across at Niall curiously, eyebrow cocked in confusion. “I just mean - you’re so brave, doing what you do, and you’ve been so strong throughout all of this, and I know you and Louis have formed a friendship,” Niall explains. His fingers are playing absentmindedly in the short hair at the nape of Liam’s neck, and something about it helps Liam to relax. “You get really hard on yourself sometimes, and you can get really unsure, but you don’t have to be. Anyone would be lucky to even _know_ you, nevermind date you like I get to do.”

The sentiment in Niall’s words is almost more than Liam can bear to hear, and he can’t think of words to respond with. He’s not used to people being so sweet to him, to caring so much the way Niall does. “What I do… it’s not that big of a deal, really,” Liam shrugs awkwardly. “I don’t get to do many big important things. Mostly it’s just bad fire alarms or a blown up microwave. I’m not pulling bodies from a burning building or something.”

“You could be though, one day,” Niall says. He doesn’t want Liam to diminish his accomplishments, the things he does and does well.

“You think awfully highly of me.”

Niall tuts. “You should think higher of yourself.”

There’s a lot Liam wants to say to that, a lot he should open up about, but he can’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he leans forward for another kiss. Kissing is much easier than talking, and he’s not sure how much he wants to admit on national television. He doesn’t want to become the sob story, the one everyone’s got sympathy for.

“There’s one more thing I want to show you here,” Liam says, glancing over Niall’s shoulder.

Niall turns to look and sees a plain white building not far from the bridge they’re on. Once they get the okay that the crew has the shot they wanted, Liam takes Niall’s hand and leads him off the bridge. With the topic averted for now, Liam feels more confident again, the conversation onto lighter things, like how lucky they are to have a beautiful day around them rather than England’s typical rain, rain, rain.

Liam leads him directly to the white building and turns the knob on the door to reveal a massive greenhouse full of plants and flowers. The place is so fragrant Niall can’t help but close his eyes and breathe in the smell, savouring it. When he opens his eyes and turns to Liam, he sees that Liam is watching him, proud but a bit hesitant. “It’s beautiful in here,” Niall says, scooting closer to Liam.

That puts a big smile on Liam’s face and he puts his arm around Niall’s shoulder, welcoming him in as Niall slides an arm around his waist. They stand there, looking around, and slowly walk like that, arms around the other. It’s easy to move like this, together in synchronized motion, throughout the entire greenhouse. They’re quiet for most of the walk, pointing to various plants and sniffing others, the flowers beautiful in full bloom. 

When they reach the door, Niall reaches out for a flower and uses his fingernails to pinch the stem to break it off. He holds it out to Liam, whose eyes have gone wide. “What?” Niall asks.

“You’re not supposed to do that!” Liam gasps.

He points to a sign on the door in plain black and white, and Niall’s cheeks redden and an incredulous smile spreads across his face. “It’s just one. I’m sorry!” he says, looking to Liam.

Liam laughs, bright and warm, and his eyes crinkle at the corners as he reaches out for the flower. “It’s alright. Oh my god. You looked more terrified than I felt,” he says. 

“You a big rule follower?” Niall asks.

Liam nods, bringing the flower to his nose as his laughter resides, smelling the little fragrant red thing that Niall offered to him so sweetly. “I am most of the time,” Liam shrugs. “I don’t like being in trouble, is all.”

Niall studies Liam for a moment. “This must be incredibly hard for you then,” he says finally, watching the way Liam’s eyes shift around before settling on Niall.

With a shrug, Liam says, “Well, I hadn’t thought I’d be chosen, actually. But yeah, it is. I’m lucky if I can manage two dates with the same person. Never thought it’d happen while they were dating other people at the same time.”

With a soft chuckle, Niall leans in a little closer to Liam. “It’s alright. I think you’re handling it really well. Better than some others have,” he offers.

Liam eyes Niall warily, like he doesn’t quite believe him, but doesn’t argue.

“How do your parents feel about it?” Niall wonders.

There’s a pause as Liam opens the door to the greenhouse, letting them out of the warm, moist air and back into the fresh England autumn. “I haven’t really been brave enough to ask,” Liam admits. “We’re headed there next, though. You could ask them yourself.”

Niall laughs, shaking his head as he looks down at the ground, his arm still around Liam’s waist as they walk. “I’m not so sure I’m brave enough either,” he confesses.

Liam’s expression softens at that, and he says earnestly, “We can do it together. It’ll be great. My parents have been really good about this.”

More than anything, Niall hopes Liam’s right, that he’s got a good read on the situation, because the prospect of being blindsided again by not-so-supportive parents isn’t something Niall likes. He’s not so sure he can handle it again with even a modicum of the dignity he did with Bressie’s parents. He can’t tell Liam about that visit though, about how things went or what they said, but even if he could he’s not so sure he’d want to. The last thing Niall wants to do is make Liam worry, for any reason.

They get in a car that is waiting for them at the exit to the park, and Liam holds Niall’s hand the whole time. He explains to him that it’ll be his parents, his two older sisters, and his best friend Andy at dinner that evening, and promises they’re going to like him. There’s a bottle of wine Niall brought along to give as a gift, something to drink with dinner, and he tries to push away the butterflies in his stomach. If Liam’s parents are anything as sweet as Liam, Niall knows he’ll be just fine. It’s the uncertainty that’s got him freaking out, is all.

The drive isn’t too long, and when they reach a modest neighborhood with similar-looking houses, Niall relaxes. Liam’s hometown looks so much like Niall’s that it’s uncanny; it’s familiar and helps ease his nerves. They’re met at the door by a woman who _must_ be Liam’s mum, and she wraps Niall up into a hug straight away.

“Come in, come in,” she urges, bringing Niall into the house before she stops Liam to give him the same big, warm hug.

Inside are four more people waiting for them, and Niall is slowly introduced to each person - there’s Karen, Liam’s mum, who hugged him upon arrival, and then Liam’s dad Geoff who was waiting by the doorway to give Niall a firm handshake.

Liam’s sisters wave hello, giving Niall space to get used to this new environment, and he swears he’s going to try to remember which is Ruth and which is Nicola. 

And then there’s Liam’s best friend. He’s unmistakeable, and just as handsome as Liam is. The look in his eyes says that he’s not so sure he likes Niall, but the smile on his face says he’s going to try very hard to like Niall anyway, since Liam does. All in all it’s a rather warm welcome, and Niall thinks he may avoid conflict this evening, blessedly.

Karen pours the wine for everyone to sip on as they chat, because dinner isn’t quite ready yet and they’d all rather hear about Liam’s adventures, instead. 

Liam animatedly tells everyone about their time in Australia, going on and on about how amazing it was to finally learn to surf, and then talks about Montreal and even manages to laugh at himself for failing so horribly to recall any French that he’d learned. It’s clear by the way he talks that Liam really enjoyed New York, too, because that’s the part he remembers best, the part he talks most about. The castle, the boating, the little details he’d discovered on the grounds whilst Niall took others out on dates - Niall’s in awe of how much Liam absorbs and remembers from each location.

“Oh, Niall, I’m so glad you make our Liam so happy,” Karen says weepily, dabbing at her eyes.

“Mum, please don’t cry,” Liam begs, embarrassed.

Niall beams at her and says, “He makes me very happy, too. You’ve raised such a great man.”

Liam looks over at Niall, who just grins back at him. He takes hold of Liam’s hand and squeezes it tight. “I mean it,” Niall insists. “Liam’s such a good man. Noble and sweet and honest.”

“Stop that,” Liam says with a nervous chuckle.

Geoff coughs and sits up a little straighter in his seat before he asks, “Liam, how about we go have a little chat?”

The room goes quiet for a moment before Niall gives Liam’s hand a squeeze and nods to him, urging him to take the time to talk with his dad. “Sure,” Liam says, sounding hesitant.

Geoff leads Liam into the kitchen where they settle in at the table, drinks still in hand. “Dad, look, I know this isn’t exactly what you’d pictured for me, but -,” Liam begins.

“He makes you happier than I’ve ever seen you before,” Geoff says simply.

Silence hangs over both men, their eyes trained on their drinks because they just don’t _have_ conversations like this, but Geoff is very right in his observation. “He’s so amazing, dad,” Liam insists.

Geoff looks up and studies Liam for a moment, a frown on his pursed lips. “And you want this? To settle down with a man?” he asks.

Liam takes a deep breath because he _knew_ this talk was coming. He’d taken off for filming before it could ever be properly had, knowing full well how hard it would be. “I could do, yeah,” Liam nods. He’s quiet, timid, as he explains, “I just didn’t feel the need to mention I liked men, too, until I knew I was with one and it was serious. Why go through the pain and fear of coming out if the love of my life ended up being a woman?”

“Liam, you don’t have to be afraid,” Geoff says with a frown.

“I know that, but it’s still…” Liam sighs, frustrated as words don’t come to him as easily as he’d like. “I wanted to be sure before I upset anyone.”

Geoff is quiet again, studying his son across the table. He looks small and timid in the face of this conversation, like he’s unsure of all the decisions he’d previously been so confident about. “You’re not upsetting any of us. We were just confused, is all,” Geoff says finally. “You’d never told us you had any inclination towards men and next thing we know you’re doing reality TV to potentially marry one. We’ve got nothing wrong with it, we just wanted to understand. We feel bad about the fact that you felt you couldn’t tell us.”

“Dad -,”

“We mean it, Liam. We’re sorry you felt like you couldn’t come out to us. That you were afraid,” Geoff says, face sombre and sad. “We love you no matter what. All of us. We’re all going to be by your side.”

“And the fact that he’s still dating others, as well?” Liam asks softly.

“Comes with the territory of this show, doesn’t it?” Geoff replies. He shrugs. “We haven’t talked about that bit much. We were more focused on you, and making sure you know how much we love you, no matter what. Being gay isn’t a bad thing.”

“Think they call what I am _bisexual_ , actually, but… thanks, dad,” Liam says. His voice is low and smooth as he speaks, and when he looks up at his dad, he tells him, “Niall makes me incredibly happy. If it doesn’t work out with him, I could still end up with a woman one day, but who knows? I’m just seeing where things take me.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Geoff insists. “I mean it, Liam.”

With a nod, Liam replies, “I know. Thanks dad.”

Geoff studies his son for one more minute before he sighs and says, “I’m so proud of you.”

Liam’s face breaks out into a big grin, and though he’d like to say more, he’s cut off by the sound of his mother walking into the room to check on dinner. It’s nearly ready so he’s shuffled back to the lounge to keep Niall company whilst everyone else sets the table and pours more drinks for everyone.

“How did it go?” Niall asks softly as he hugs Liam in greeting.

Liam smiles into Niall’s neck and holds him tight as he said, “Amazing. They seem okay with all of this. Today is going _so_ well.”

And really, nothing could put a smile on Niall’s face faster than news like that. He goes into dinner feeling much more relaxed now that he knows, and it’s easy to settle into a big family meal with the Paynes.

The conversation over their meal is nice and light; Karen gets a bit weepy at times, especially when Liam says that at the end of this, he might be engaged. “Aww!” Ruth coos. “Little Liam can finally join the rest of us married folk!” 

Sure enough when Niall looks, everyone at the table except for himself and Liam, have wedding rings on. Liam looks shyly down at his plate and Karen says, “We’ve just always wanted you to be happy, love. It’s alright.”

“I know,” Liam says. 

His family is so kind and supportive, and Niall is so glad that Liam’s got family like them. After hearing the story of how his ex girlfriend broke his heart just seven months ago now, Niall is glad to see that Liam’s in such good shape because of these kind people. 

Maybe Liam hadn’t thought marriage would be in the cards for him, after Sophia broke up with him. Maybe he’d been low - lower than he’d ever felt before - when that relationship ended. But knowing that his family is so supportive of the idea of their engagement leaves Niall feeling like he’s on cloud nine.

He offers to help clean up after dinner, and Geoff pours some scotch for the men and wine for the ladies as everyone settles in after dinner. Niall’s feeling relaxed by this point, totally and completely fine with where he’s at with the family, when Andy says with a sombre expression, “Niall, I think it’s time you and I had a chat.”

“Have fun,” Liam smiles, his cheeks flushed from all the alcohol they’ve had that night, and Niall feels a twist in his gut but Andy is Liam’s best friend for a reason. He’s a good guy.

Except he doesn’t look like a good guy when he’s leading Niall through the house and out into the garden for a chat, and won’t smile, won’t say a word, just keeps glancing over his shoulder at Niall. They have a seat and that’s when Niall really starts to feel nervous.

“Look, I really want to like you,” Andy begins, and that does nothing to soothe Niall’s growing worry. “It’s just that - okay, so Liam is a really special guy. You don’t need me to tell you that. He’s just also a very traditional guy. Plays by the rules.” Niall nods. “But he’s also a massive people pleaser. He wants everyone around him to be happy, almost to a fault.”

As much as Niall would like to say something, he doesn’t. He keeps his mouth shut because Andy looks set and determined, like he knows exactly what he wants to say and doesn’t need Niall interrupting him.

“Growing up, Liam told me everything. Dunno if he’s told you, but he didn’t have many friends,” Andy says. He frowns as he explains, “He thought he did, because there were lots of people he was nice to, but they weren’t nice back. I was the only person to show up to his birthday party for _five years in a row_. And he’d always meet new people and say _”this year is going to be different,”_ and it wasn’t. It took him five years to stop even bothering to throw birthday parties. He’s had me, and his family, and that’s been it.”

Niall’s frowning, heart pounding in his chest out of anger, because the thought of anybody treating Liam - _his_ Liam - like that was appalling. It was unacceptable. 

“Liam focused on himself after that. Took up boxing, bulked up a little bit. Took to YouTube to really learn how to make himself look like he was strong and confident. His entire physical appearance is a bluff sometimes, but I think it’s sort of convinced him he’s strong enough to be that person, if that makes sense?” Andy explains. Niall nods, because it does make sense, and it’s a smart way to try to build a person up. He commends Liam for that.

Andy sighs and takes a sip of his scotch before he continues, “Then Sophia came along. He’d had a crush on her since primary school, but she only noticed him once he got hot. Liam was overjoyed but I called bullshit right away. But the thing is, he’s so naive and trusting that he didn’t listen to me when I said it wouldn’t end well. So they started dating and it was okay. She survived my shovel talks and made Liam happy and it was great. I was happy for him. We were going to pick out an engagement ring and everything.” Andy swallows. “Then she dumped him.”

Shaking his head, Andy says, “I’ve seen Liam look down on himself and be really tough on himself many times, but nothing compares to how devastated he was when she dumped him.”

Niall nods in understanding. He knows where this is going now. 

“And now you come along. He’s never shown any inclination towards men at all, and then he goes on this show and six weeks later brings you home,” Andy explains. He locks eyes with Niall and stares him down before he says, “And I don’t know what in the world to do with this new situation. Because I can’t help but wonder if he really _does_ like men, or if he thinks if he dates them he’ll have more chances to meet someone, or what. He’s never talked to me about his sexuality before, ever.”

Andy takes another sip of his scotch. “On top of that, this is a television programme and you live across the bloody sea and how do I know you’re not going to crush Liam the same way Sophia did?” he asks simply.

Niall takes a deep breath. He’d known this question was coming, and he hates that he has no better answer to it than what he’s got. “That’s fair,” he nods. “Thank you for telling me all that.”

Andy raises an eyebrow, like he’s confused by what Niall’s said. “You mean _he_ hasn’t?”

“No,” Niall says, shaking his head.

Andy frowns deeper and Niall’s planted with doubt; if Liam hasn’t told him all those important details of his past, what _has_ he told him? How much about him doesn’t Niall know yet?

“I know what sort of answer you’re looking for here,” Niall begins. “And I can’t give you that. All I can say is that I promise that I am interested in him, and really bloody attracted to him, and the last thing I want to do is hurt him. Nearly started crying meself when you told me about his birthdays. I had no idea.” Niall takes a deep, shuddering breath. “Liam is really important to me, and I know I’m important to him, too. I don’t take that lightly. He’s told me I’m the first man he’s been on a date with, the first man he’s kissed, and that… it’s a lot of pressure, but I’m also honoured that he’s trusted me so much with things like that.”

Niall looks up at Andy, frowning, and he says, “I know it’s hard. I don’t know why Liam’s kept this attraction he’s got to men from you. He could’ve been scared. I know I was. Even my family and friends, the people I knew would never abandon me, I was bloody terrified of telling them.” Niall studies Andy. “I don’t know his reason why, but you and I both know the kind of guy Liam is. He wouldn’t keep it from you unless he had a very good reason.”

“But what if you dump him? What am I supposed to think then?”

“If it comes down to that,” Niall says gravely, “Then you should be very grateful for the fact that this process has helped him make a lot of friends. Ask him about Louis sometime. Or Zayn.”

Andy looks surprised by that, like he hadn’t considered that the contestants would make friends with each other as well as with Niall. “I’ve asked him how he’s doing, and he says he’s doing well with it all. The stress and the long nights and stuff. He’s stronger than it sounds like he used to be. It’s been good for him. But I will do my very best not to hurt him Andy. You have my word,” Niall says.

Andy is quiet for a moment, studying Niall through narrowed eyes, until finally he says, “Alright. As long as you and I are on the same page about this - that Liam comes first - we’ll be good.”

“Yes, sir,” Niall agrees. “He’s a really great guy.”

Andy nods and he stands from his seat, smiling at Niall for the first time since before their talk. “Take care of him, alright?” Andy says softly.

“You have my word,” Niall nods.

They walk back into the house and to the lounge where the rest of the family is sitting and chatting with Liam. Niall takes a seat next to Liam and the smile on Liam’s face says everything; he’s happier now than he has been in ages.

“I can’t thank you all enough for such a great evening,” Niall says to them after a little more to drink.

“We’ve been so happy to have you,” Karen says, standing to give Niall and Liam both a hug goodbye.

Just like when they arrived, Niall is caught up in a flurry of hugs, and at the very end is Andy, offering out a hand to Niall. “Take care of him,” he says as he shakes his hand and pulls him into a hug.

“I’ll do my best,” Niall promises.

Once all the goodbyes have been said, Liam takes hold of Niall’s hand and leads him out of the house. He’s got a smile on his face and he’s so happy Niall feels like he finally understands what it means for a person to be _glowing_. “That went _so_ well,” Liam says as he turns to face Niall, the two of them standing at the kerb where there’s a car waiting to take Niall to his hotel.

“It did,” Niall smiles. Especially compared to the last hometown visit, this one went spectacularly. Niall feels good after it, hopeful. “Thank you so much for today. It was amazing.”

“Andy didn’t scare you too badly?” Liam asks hopefully.

Niall smiles and shakes his head. “No. Told me about your past… growing up and stuff. Made sure I wouldn’t hurt you like Sophia did,” he explains. “Nothing too scary.”

“Oh,” Liam says, faltering. “How much did he tell you?”

Niall leans in, bumping their noses together. “Nothing bad,” he says softly. “Don’t worry.”

Liam frowns, pulling away to look into Niall’s eyes instead of giving into the kiss Niall was leaning in for. “If he made me sound like some pathetic loner, I’ll -,”

“No,” Niall says, cutting Liam off mid-sentence. “None of that. He made you sound even stronger and braver than I already thought you were, alright? He’s got your back, no matter what. That was clear today.”

It’s quiet, a soft breeze drifting through the trees as Liam looks into Niall’s eyes, like he’s trying to figure out whether Niall’s embellishing or telling the truth. “Relax,” Niall says softly, rubbing a hand up and down Liam’s back. “They all adore you.”

Liam looks into Niall’s eyes, hopeful as Niall’s ever seen him. Niall smiles brightly and leans in to steal a soft kiss. “I’m really glad that today happened,” Niall whispers.

Even though a million words are threatening to bubble through to the surface, something along the lines of _I love you,_ but Liam’s rendered speechless instead. He whispers a soft thanks and leans in for another kiss.

“I’ll see you soon,” Niall promises.

Liam nods and they share one last tender kiss in the moonlight before Liam breaks away. He smiles at Niall and opens the car door for him. Niall climbs in and pulls Liam in for one last kiss before the door is closed and Liam’s waving goodbye to the car as it pulls away.

Niall watches out the window, waving even though Liam can’t see him through the tinted glass. This day with Liam leaves Niall feeling much more confident and reassured than his visit with Bressie, and he knows he shouldn’t compare, but one place felt a lot warmer and more reassuring than the other.

*

Being in Wolverhampton with Liam leaves Niall in high spirits, and the drive to Oldham the next afternoon is lovely. He’s got time that day to relax and he knows he could call his parents if he wanted, get some advice, but he’s afraid of something - anything - ruining his mood.

He spends the night in a hotel in Oldham and the following morning, Niall rolls out of bed feeling calm and relaxed. He puts on a nice new pair of dark jeans and a light blue button down, the top button open and just the slightest bit of chest hair peeking out. He’s got a little stubble along his jaw and glasses on his face, but his hair is fresh and newly dyed and he feels really confident, going into today.

He’s meeting Nick at his house for brunch, an unconventional choice but Nick had insisted that their date plans are in the evening and can’t be changed. Niall’s insanely curious about what’s going on but he’ll have to wait until the end of the night.

Niall knows as soon as he’s reached Nick’s house, because Nick is standing out front with a dog on a lead, and they’re both smiling when the car pulls up. “There he is,” Nick says warmly as Niall steps out of the car.

“Hey there,” Niall replies, eagerly folding into a hug.

He’s always going to be so pleased with the way he tucks so nicely under Nick’s chin, in the curve of his waist, like they’re puzzle pieces that belong together. There’s a wet nose poking at his hand and Nick chuckles. “That’s Pig. She’s my dog,” he explains. “Ever since I got back she hasn’t left my side.”

“I love dogs,” Niall grins, kneeling down to pet her properly.

Pig sniffs him out and then licks his face, deciding she approves of her owner’s new boyfriend. “So I guess I’m sort of a package deal as well,” Nick says simply. “I come with a dog.”

“I like that,” Niall says, glancing up at Nick again. “I haven’t got a dog though I’ve always wanted one.”

Nick grins and leans in for another kiss. “We just sort of fit, don’t we?” he asks.

The fact that Nick feels it too, the way they slot so perfectly together physically and otherwise, makes Niall ecstatic and so ready for the day. “We do. I believe it’s brunch time now?” he asks, hand rubbing his belly just as it growls.

“Yes, and my whole family is in there. Well, almost everyone. My nephew couldn’t make it because of a school thing, but everyone else is here,” Nick says. 

“Nephew? I love little kids,” Niall says as they walk through the front door.

Nick chuckles. “Not little,” he corrects. “I’ll explain it all when we get inside. You’ll see.”

They walk through the foyer and into the lounge where there’s a small crowd of people sipping on tea or coffee, Niall can’t tell. Pig bounds over to an elderly looking man, who pets her and gets her to calm down. “Alright so,” Nick begins. “Everyone, this is my boyfriend Niall.”

There are various choruses of _hello!_ and _so nice to meet you!_ and a few waves before Nick starts introducing everyone to Niall. “Alright so the man petting Pig is my dad Pete, and next to him is my mum Eileen,” Nick starts. Niall hesitates; he’d thought they were Nick’s grandparents. Which means a very awkward misunderstanding about the man and woman sitting on the sofa opposite Pete and Eileen. “This here is my brother Andy and my sister Jane. They’re much older than me,” Nick explains. Which makes sense now, why Niall might have mistaken them as Nick’s parents. “And here is my niece Liv.”  
“He’s more like my big brother, but technically speaking he’s my uncle,” Liv jokes as she reaches out to shake Niall’s hand. 

He waves to each of them and takes a seat in the corner of the sofa, Nick in the middle with Liv on his other side. Pig bounds back over to them and takes a running leap up onto the sofa, settling in between Nick and Niall. “If we were alone I might be offended, Pig Dog,” Nick mutters to her.

“Niall, Nick, can we get you anything?” Eileen asks, standing and walking to the tray on the coffee table with a couple of kettles and clean cups on it. 

“Oh mum, let me,” Nick says, leaning in.

“Enough of that,” she says smartly, smacking away his hand. “You’re finally back to visit and I can spoil you a bit if I feel like.”

Nick shrugs. “Well, it’s rare you offer to do that so I’ll take it,” he laughs. “Tea please.”

“Coffee for me, if you’ve got it,” Niall says.

“Sure thing, love. Cream or sugar?” she asks.

“Just a bit of cream would be nice,” Niall replies. “Thank you.”

Pete’s eyebrows shoot up and he says, “A lovely polite one you’ve snagged, Nick.”

“Yeah, I like him,” Liv says, smirking behind her teacup. “He’s very cute.”

“A little young,” Andy chimes in.

“How old are you?” Jayne asks.

Even though it feels a bit like he’s being quizzed, Niall doesn’t seem to mind it much because they’re so warm and kind about it. They’re all smiling and there’s nothing accusatory in their voices. He takes the cup of coffee offered to him by Eileen before replying, “Twenty-five.”

“And you’re living in Ireland right now?” Andy asks.

“Yeah, for now,” Niall nods. “I’ve got my business set up in Dublin but as I own it, I can move anywhere and it’s no big deal. Just running it out of my flat right now, so.”

Pete asks a few questions about Niall’s business and what he does, and he feels like with each answer, he continues passing their test. He’s asked multiple times over if he’d be willing to move to London to support Nick’s work, and Niall nods in agreement every time, saying the flexibility with where he bases his work makes it really easy to relocate for someone who’s tied down to their job.

“I like him, Nicky,” Jayne says happily.

“Don’t call me that,” Nick grumbles.

Niall chuckles, warm and bright, and says, “Aww, it’s alright Nicky.”

“Stop that,” Nick scowls at Niall, though there’s hilarity in his eyes.

“Well, let me go finish brunch. Jayne, Liv, come help me with the drinks, would you?” Eileen begs, and she, Liv and Jayne leave the room not a minute later to finish setting up for brunch.

Pete studies Nick and Niall for a moment before he asks, “So Niall, d’you like any other sport?”

“Football, actually,” Niall says. “Big fan of Derby County, went to a lot of their games as a child.”

“Good, good,” Pete nods. “We’ll have to watch a match sometime.”

“Dad,” Nick warns. He’s explained to his parents several times that bringing Niall home to meet them doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to be together forever. There are still three other people fighting for Niall’s heart alongside Nick.

“I know, I know,” Pete says offhandedly with a wave of his hand. “Calm down. I mean if you two stay together.”

Niall nods and says, “I’d really love that, Pete. Thanks.”

Niall glances over to Nick, who got tense there for a moment, and he squeezes his hand in hopes of reassuring him that it’s all okay, that he shouldn’t stress over this because they don’t know what’s going to happen and there’s no use putting their energy into worrying. Nick puts a smile back on his face shortly after Pig starts sniffing around at his tea, and the tension dissipates.

“Alright, loves, time to eat!” Eileen calls to the men sitting out in the lounge.

Niall follows Nick through to the dining room and sits down next to him, thanking Eileen for the big brunch spread. “It’s delicious,” he says, his plate loaded with all the fixings of a full English breakfast.

“Mum makes the best brunches,” Nick says.

“I invite Nick all the time but usually he’s got other plans or he’s too hungover to make the drive,” Eileen says. “Quite the party animal, this one.”

“Oh yeah?” Niall asks, glancing over at Nick in surprise. “Interesting.”

Nick’s cheeks flush just the slightest. “Mum,” he whines.

“It’s true,” Liv says mischievously. “Especially when he’s at a party, he’ll try to guest DJ or he’ll splurge on a really nice bottle of alcohol.”

“You paint me as an alcoholic,” Nick accuses, pointing his fork at Liv.

“Nothing wrong with a little fun,” Andy says in his defense.

“So long as you’re not teaching my daughter poor drinking habits,” Jayne chimes in.

Niall’s laughing from his spot next to Nick, whilst Nick sputters and tries to come up with something to say in reply, but fails. Instead he turns to Niall pleadingly and says, “I’m not an alcoholic, I swear.”

“I believe you,” Niall says through bouts of laughter. “Don’t worry.”

“His friends are terrible influences,” Liv teases.

“My friends are wonderful,” Nick says defiantly.

Niall reaches over under the table to put his hand on Nick’s thigh. He hopes the ribbing isn’t actually upsetting Nick, like it would some. Niall likes seeing the way Nick interacts with his family, likes knowing that get-togethers would be full of laughs and fun. He finds himself looking forward to a party with Nick, and to meeting his friends, and to seeing all the little bits of his home life that Niall doesn’t get to see while they’re in The Bachelor house.

After brunch is finished, everyone gets a mimosa and lounges at the table, the conversation dying down. “So… does anyone have anything they need to ask me? Want to clear the air about something?” Niall asks.

Pete and Eileen exchange glances before turning back to Niall, shaking their heads. “Nope,” Eileen says simply.

Niall turns to Jayne, and then Andy, and then Liv, but they’re all shaking their heads. “You’re just… totally okay with this?” Niall asks, completely surprised.

“Yeah,” Liv shrugs.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Jayne wonders.

Niall swallows hard and Nick’s hand covers Niall’s under the table, where he’s still resting it upon Nick’s thigh. “It’s just… other families have been really worried. Between the whole dating multiple people thing, to the age gap thing, like… everything is fine with you guys?” Niall asks.

“Yeah,” Andy grins.

Niall doesn’t get it, and Nick’s not really saying anything or explaining, and it’s an incredibly baffling situation. The confusion must show on his face because finally Liv speaks up to explain. “It’s just that Nick’s never brought anyone home to meet us before,” she says. “Sure, it’s part of the show or whatever, but he’s still here, with you, and that’s massive.”

“It’s nothing we ever thought we’d see,” Andy adds.

Their words have Niall glancing over to Nick, who just shrugs and tries his very best to look innocent and comfortable in the situation, though it’s clear there’s a piece missing, something Nick and the others aren’t telling Niall.

“Why don’t you two go for a walk?” Eileen suggests. “It’s beautiful out, and shouldn’t be too muddy. Go for a walk down by the river.”

Niall nods and looks to Nick, who doesn’t let go of his hand even as they stand up and say goodbye to Nick’s family. He waits until they’re outside and out of earshot before he says, “Sorry about them.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” Niall replies.

Nick sighs. “You must be wondering what that was all about,” he says. “What they said about me never bringing anyone home, I mean.”

Niall’s thumb is rubbing soft circles on the back of Nick’s hand and he asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I should, shouldn’t I?” Nick replies.

It’s clear to Niall that there’s something difficult that Nick hasn’t really talked to him about yet, and it makes Niall worry but he doesn’t press. “Only if you want to,” he says in reply.

Nick leads Niall down a little further until they reach a small bridge spanning a thin river. He sits down on the bridge, legs dangling over the edge, and Niall follows suit. It’s beautiful outside, with the sun shining behind the few clouds in the sky, and the trees are bright green, the water trickling by underneath their feet. It’s calm and peaceful, but Nick seems anything but.

“It’s just that before you and this whole… _thing_ ,” Nick sighs. “I was a bit of a slag, to be honest. I tried dating and the guy was great at first, but it was the whole cliche about him deciding he wanted more and breaking my heart and all that.” Niall frowns. It’s clear Nick’s trying to brush it off as nothing, though clearly he was very hurt by it.

“So then I focused on my career and when I had a job I liked, I went to more parties and would dash off to the loo with someone or occasionally go back to their place and then leave when we were finished,” Nick explains. “I was like that basically up until I went to Kent to start filming. I’m not all that wonderful of a guy, all things considered.”

Niall frowns and nudges Nick with his elbow. “Don’t say that,” he says. “You’re a great guy. And unless you’ve been sleeping around with others in the house, then it doesn’t really matter who you used to be, does it? Because you know you can be _this_ guy, the one I know.”

“I haven’t been, I swear,” Nick insists. “I’ve had eyes for nobody but you.”

With a smile on his face, Niall nods and says, “I know. I believe you, and I trust you, and there’s nothing for you to feel bad about, alright? You’re a changed man.”

“For you,” Nick says.

Niall leans over to rest his head on Nick’s shoulder and he says, “If it helps, the man who broke your heart is a complete and total idiot for letting someone as great as you get away.”

Nick’s cheeks redden and he lays his head gently atop Niall’s. “Stop that,” Nick says through a smile. “You’re going to make me fall even more in love with you.”

The words steal Niall’s breath right out of his lungs and he smiles as he looks up, his eyes locking with Nick’s. “Maybe that’s the plan,” he replies.

“It’s working,” Nick smiles back.

Niall scoots closer, and he can feel Nick’s breath on his lips, and he closes his eyes as Nick swoops in to capture his lips in a kiss. It’s even better than any of their other kisses, piling the sensation of Nick’s lips on Niall’s with the feeling of being totally and completely loved by Nick. He can hardly breathe with it all, knowing how much Nick cares about him, all the changes Nick made in his life just for Niall. It’s astonishing, how Niall can feel so strongly for all of these men, and he doesn’t know what to do with it all.

He wraps an arm around Nick’s shoulders and leans in further, kissing him deeper, hoping Nick can feel through his touch that Niall is falling for him, too.

When the kiss finally, slowly ends, Niall licks his lips and Nick smiles, nearly going crosseyed as he tries to make eye contact with Niall again. He gazes into Niall’s bright, sparkling blue eyes and says, “Thank you.”

Confused, Niall asks with a light chuckle, “For what?”

Nick looks around at the river, the trees, the sidewalk that led them to this spot at the bridge, and then he shrugs like it’s no big deal as he says, “This place used to always remind me of my ex. You know, the man who broke my heart. But now…” his smile grows, “Now this place will just remind me of you. I like that much better.”

Niall beams and leans in for another kiss, smiling against Nick’s mouth, relishing the warmth that spreads through his chest, knowing he’s just made one painful memory much less painful by simply being there with Nick and sharing the moment with him. “Well in that case, you’re welcome,” Niall murmurs against Nick’s mouth.

Nick smiles and wraps an arm around Niall’s waist, holding him impossibly close at his side. “You’re so amazing,” Nick mutters. “This whole day has been perfect.”

“It’s not over yet though, right?” Niall asks.

With a grin on his face that looks like it means mischief, Nick nods and says, “You are exactly right. Let’s walk back, get the car, and I’ll drive us to where we’ve got to go next.”

Niall is still endlessly curious about what the last part of their date is, knowing it absolutely had to take place in the evening. They walk hand in hand the whole way back, clouds quickly filling the English sky above, and it looks like it’s about to rain by the time they reach Nick’s house. There’s a picnic basket on the counter and Pig is back on her lead, and it’s a flurry of well wishes and hugs goodbye from Nick’s family before Niall’s following out to the car, holding onto Pig’s lead as Nick carries the picnic basket.

“A bit rainy for a picnic, isn’t it?” Niall laughs.

“Well, I was hoping the weather would come through for me, but I guess not,” Nick says. “No matter. It’ll all be fine. I’ve got some rain jackets and umbrellas in here for us.”

Niall gets into the passenger seat and turns up the heat in the car as Nick pulls out of the drive. Without speaking, the two reach between them and their hands find each other, fingers slotting together. Niall loves everything about being with Nick, from the laughter and the jokes to how comfortable the silence can be.

Nick drives expertly through Oldham until they reach a stadium, looming and covered in blue, and Niall says, “But it’s the off season.”

“I know,” Nick smiles. “Pulled a few strings with an old boss of mine. We’re going to have a picnic here with Pig.”

“In the rain?”

Nick reaches into the back for a rain jacket and hands it to Niall, and then takes another for himself. Pig is watching eagerly from the back seat, tail wagging and a smile on her face. “That’s the hand we English have been dealt,” Nick shrugs. “If you move here you’ll have to get used to it, too.”

Niall takes Pig’s lead again, a smile on his face, and follows Nick inside. He’s got the hood up on the jacket and it’s too big for him, being Nick’s size and all, but Niall is keeping dry and the rain is light and looks like it’ll subside soon anyway.

Inside the stadium is quiet, but the lights are on, and Nick waves towards what must be the controller before Niall realizes someone’s already stuck a massive beach umbrella out on the pitch, keeping a space dry for them. “C’mon then. Let’s have a picnic,” Nick grins.

The entrances to the pitch are closed off so they let Pig off her lead, and she runs around excitedly in circles before finally settling in at their feet as Nick and Niall eat the sandwiches Eileen packed for them. Niall pops a crisp in his mouth before he asks, “So why here?”

Nick sits with his legs outstretched, leaning back on his arms next to Niall. He glances over at Niall and has a coy look on his face as he says, “A gesture, I suppose. Or a promise, you could say.” Niall’s quiet, trying to process, until Nick clarifies, “I know how much sports mean to you. And sure, they’re not _exactly_ my thing, but if I could’ve taken you to a match here, I would have. So consider this like a promise to take you here one day. If - I mean, well, assuming we end up together. If we do, I’ll take you to matches or try golfing again, because I want to try to do things that you love, too.”

Niall looks up at Nick through his eyelashes, breathtaken by how much the gesture means to him. “Nick -,”

“And in return I might bring you to a stuffy old work party,” he chuckles. “You know, because there’s no fun to be had at a party which requires a DJ.”

Niall snorts with laughter and leans forward, his head on Nick’s shoulder. “Deal,” he agrees. “That sounds amazing.”

Nick wraps one arm around Niall’s waist as they sit there under the umbrella, rain jackets still on and rain falling slowly down on the grass around them. Pig’s fast asleep by their feet and the entire stadium is quiet save for the trickling sound of raindrops on the umbrella. “I really do love you, you know,” Nick says softly.

He’ll only admit it in the interview afterwards, not actually out loud to Niall, but Nick’s ever told anyone other than family that he loves them. It’s huge, being brave enough to say it out loud, to tell Niall how he’s feeling, and Nick just hopes like hell that Niall feels the same. 

Niall can’t say if he does, but the way he glances up at Nick, his blue eyes softly, tenderly gazing into Nick’s hazel. Instead he just leans in for a soft kiss.

It’s so difficult for Niall, remembering that he’s got the other three, when he’s so wrapped up in Nick. Anytime he’s with one of the remaining four, he forgets about the others, which is good in the sense that he’s giving them his full attention, but bad in the sense that it means he’s going to fall in love with all of them.

He can’t say so far, not even to the cameras, how he feels for each person, because Niall doesn’t even know how to make sense of it all. He knows he feels strongly for all of them, and that’s what makes the impending rose ceremony at the end of the week feel so daunting.

But in the moment he’s wrapped up in Nick, figuratively and literally, and at the end of the night when they’re leaving the stadium and he gives Nick one last kiss goodbye, Niall very nearly says it, that he loves him. And he thinks he does, but he isn’t so sure yet.

With one hometown date still ahead, Niall leaves feeling confused as ever, trying his best to make sense of all the emotions running through him. He needs to get to his hotel in Doncaster and get some rest so he’s refreshed and happy for the next hometown date, and hopes he can manage. Each week, each day, grows more and more stressful, and Niall’s finding he isn’t all that well equipped to handle it.

*

All of the one on one moments with the remaining four and their families have been something special, but for Niall, nothing quite makes him shake in his boots like the prospect of someone trusting him enough to introduce him to their _child_. Louis is meeting him for some time alone together, just tea and some breakfast at a small cafe in town, but after that is huge - it’s something Niall doesn’t quite feel ready for but at the same time it feels long overdue. After that, he’ll be introduced to Freddie.

He sees Louis having a smoke outside the cafe he’d been told to meet him at, and Niall loves the way he can watch Louis’s face brighten at the sight of him. “Hey, love,” Louis says as he stands, flicking his cigarette to the ground and stamping it out with his Adidas.

“Hi,” Niall replies, beaming as he approaches.

He’s wrapped up into a big, warm hug, Louis filling every second of it with adoration and admiration so great that Niall’s not sure he’s deserving of all of it. “Missed you,” Louis says, before softly kissing Niall, like this is something they just do everyday.

“Missed you too,” Niall says, his hands dropping to Louis’s hips. “I hope Freddie’s doing alright.”

Louis had left rather abruptly after receiving the news that Freddie had been hurt on the playground, so they didn’t get a proper goodbye. On top of that, Niall had been wondering how things were going, if Freddie was alright, and if Louis had gotten home okay, but he hadn’t had his phone on him to check.

“He’s great,” Louis says, but there’s something in his eye that makes the corners of Niall’s mouth turn down, because Louis’s expression faded a little, and that’s never good.

“C’mon. Let’s get some tea and talk,” Niall suggests.

He’d like to think he knows how to help Louis when he’s down, but truly, he hasn’t had all that many opportunities to do so. That’s the trouble with this sort of process - they might go on a lot of dates but the chances they have to sit down and have serious, meaningful conversations are few and far between. Niall treats both of them to tea and a scone and then they sit down at a table by the window.

“Is Freddie really doing alright?” Niall asks, once Louis has consumed a fair bit of tea. He thinks that might help Louis’s mood somewhat. “It’s just that back there, you looked a little upset, so.”

“He’s good, really,” Louis nods. “I just feel guilty is all. He was here all alone, without his _dad_ , when he went into hospital.”

Niall frowns. “He wasn’t alone. I’m sure you got here as fast as you could and in the meantime your family helped, yeah?” Niall tries.

“Right but like - I’m his _dad_ , Niall. He already hasn’t got a mum. And then I’m away dating someone when he gets what will hopefully be the most traumatic injury of his life? I hope nothing worse than this happens, I don’t think I could handle it,” he adds. Louis sighs and looks up at Niall. “I don’t regret being with you, but I _do_ wish I would have been closer to him when he’d been hurt. He had to go through all of that pain without me.”

Niall’s frowning deeply now, and he nods. “I understand,” he says. “I do. I’m sorry we were so far away.”

“Not really your fault, is it?” Louis says. “They’re the ones who plan the dates, yeah?” he asks as he points over his shoulder to the crew out on the street, filming through the cafe window.

Niall shrugs noncommittally. He had a lot of say in the dates, whether it seemed like it or not. He takes a sip of his tea and tries to change the subject onto something a little more pleasant. “He’s alright now though, right? And home, safe and sound?”

Something flickers in Louis’s eyes - recognition of something, like that he’s just put his foot in his mouth, about the date thing - and he nods. His voice is softer when he says, “Yeah, he’s good. Won’t let anyone sign his cast until you do.” Louis laughs softly at that.

“Wow, I’m honoured,” Niall replies. He chips off a piece of his scone and eats it, studying Louis from across the table. “When do I get to meet him?”

Louis hesitates for a moment, like he’s afraid or something, and says, “After this. We’re going to go to my mums, where I’ve been living with him, for now. She’ll be there, and then my little sisters and brother will join us for dinner.”

“I can’t wait,” Niall says, smiling warmly at Louis.

It’s clear that Louis is nervous for this, because his smile isn’t quite as bright and his knee is bouncing under the table. Niall senses that maybe it’s time to just go for a walk, see how far they can get before wanting or needing to call a car to get to Louis’s house, which isn’t far from where they’re currently at.

Hand in hand, Niall and Louis leave the cafe and start walking down the sidewalk. Louis takes the lead right away, walking at a slow, casual pace. Niall asks about the trip back here when he’d left the castle in New York, about his family and siblings and that he’d try his very best to remember everyone’s names.

The walk seems too short, because in no time at all, they’re reaching their destination. It’s one of the most terrifying things in the world for Niall when they finally reach the point where Louis points down the block and says, “And that right there is my house.”

Louis’s hand is clammy and he’s holding onto Niall’s tighter than he usually does, and Niall can feel the giddy nervousness radiating from his every inch. “And Freddie’s in there, yeah?” Niall asks, a smile on his face. He’s trying to sound excited, because he is, he really is, but he’s also more nervous than he’s ever been before. This is massive.

“Yeah, he is,” Louis nods. He pauses when they reach the front door and turns to face Niall properly. “He’s been asking after you ever since I got home.”

That puts a big smile on Niall’s face and he says, “That’s adorable. I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Daddy!”

They hear the shout through the window, Freddie being sly and peeking out the curtains in the window facing the street. Louis isn’t surprised at all. “He’s spotted you. We ought to go in now,” Louis says, a slight tremor in his voice.

He hesitates, and Niall rubs his hand over the small of Louis’s back, nervous and excited and hoping to god that Freddie adores him as much as he’s grown to adore Freddie. The door opens and there’s a small child charging at them without a second thought. He’s got his arm in a sling, a bright neon green cast on it, but he looks like he’s far past the pain now. “Daddy!” he shouts again.

Louis smiles and picks him up, still feeling relieved to finally have his son back in his arms. He has been since he’d arrived in Doncaster upon getting the call that Freddie had been hurt. Niall closes the door behind him and stands next to Louis, hovering without speaking, because he’s not really sure what to say. 

Thankfully, Louis says something for him. “Freddie, I brought someone special for you to meet,” Louis says. Freddie doesn’t pick up on the waver in Louis’s voice, but Niall does. He scoots closer, an arm around Louis’s waist for comfort. “This is Niall. Remember I told you about Niall?”

Freddie’s blue eyes look up at Niall and he swears he’s looking right at a younger version of Louis. Their eyes are the exact same shade of blue, and they’ve got the same face, full of mischief and delight, and it’s astonishing to Niall, seeing this tiny human, this little clone of Louis that he’s lucky enough to meet. Freddie’s hair is ashy brown and messy from play and he smiles at Niall, the same smile as Louis. “Niall! Hi!” Freddie says, instantly reaching out for Niall with his good arm.

Louis chuckles, and Niall doesn’t hesitate as he reaches out to grab onto Freddie, to pull him against his side and hold him there, like the child seems to want. “Hi Freddie, it’s nice to meet you,” Niall says with a warm smile on his face.

Freddie looks like he’s about to burst, he’s so excited, and Niall doesn’t miss the way Louis’s eyes look wet and a little red as he watches Freddie take so well to Niall, and Niall take so well to Freddie in return. Freddie babbles on and on and Niall only catches about half the words, but what he gathers from it is that he likes football and his jersey - which Niall has just realized Freddie is _wearing_ , and he’s already grown into it so well - and that he wants his cast signed. 

A woman who must be Louis’s mum walks in with some markers and Freddie shoves them all at Niall, who is just trying his best not to drop Freddie while he wriggles to and fro. “Freds, love, let’s let Niall sit down, okay? He can do better art when he’s sitting,” Louis says, reaching out to take Freddie from Niall, to give Niall some respite from the restless toddler.

Freddie twists away from Louis, though, hugging himself tight against Niall’s chest. “No daddy, like Niall,” he murmurs into Niall’s shirt.

Niall and Freddie both laugh, and Niall makes his way to the sofa, helping himself to the messy, lived-in, wonderful space that Louis and Freddie call home. Louis has to move some blankets and a sippy cup out of the way before Niall can sit but once he does, Niall has a seat and Freddie sits next to him, staying close by. “Alright. I heard you wanted me to sign it first,” Niall says to Freddie.

“Yes,” Freddie nods seriously. “You first.”

That puts a smile on Louis’s face, and he looks up at Niall, still as emotional as before. When he and Niall share a look, it’s something so profound that Niall knows he won’t even come close to explaining it later, when he’s asked to. Instead, Niall just turns his focus back on Freddie to take the marker he chooses - a plain black sharpie - and hands it to Niall, waving it in his face until he accepts it.

Niall tries his very hardest to draw a dinosaur, though it turns out more like a little blob with scales on its back, but Freddie is glowing with happiness. Especially when Niall signs his name and tells Freddie that he’s got the coolest cast he’s ever seen.

“Like you,” Freddie says as he tries very hard to put the cap on the marker for Niall, something he promised he could and would do. 

Niall smiles and he feels like his heart could burst with the relieving feeling of acceptance from Freddie. “I like you too, Freddie. And I like your dad quite a lot as well,” Niall says. “Is that okay?”

“Yes,” Freddie says, not even bothering to look up.

Niall glances up at Louis, smiling as he says, “You’ve got such a polite son.”

Louis laughs, bright and happy, and replies, “That’s all from my mum. I’m well aware my manners are lacking. Seems he’s better at picking up manners than I am.”

“You did quite alright yourself, love,” his mum chimes in from the doorway.

She looks just as emotional as Louis does, and slowly she walks in, taking Freddie’s silence and awe as an opportunity to walk in. “Niall, this is my mum, Johannah,” Louis says.

“Jay, please,” she says as Niall stands to greet her with a hug.

“So nice to meet you,” Niall replies. He can feel the adoration coming from her just through her hug, and he feels so relaxed in this household, like he’s already been given a place. Like he belongs. “I had flowers for you, but we forgot them back at the cafe. I’m so sorry.”

“Not to worry, dear,” she insists. “I appreciate the thought.”

Niall leans away from the hug to look up at her meaningfully. “You’ve got a really amazing son. And grandson,” he says.

“Yes, I do,” she agrees, beaming at him.

When Niall turns back to face Louis and Freddie, Freddie is animatedly telling Louis a story in a language neither really understands, at least fully. But even if he can’t understand him, Louis’s face lights up and he nods along, all the while drawing little scribbles on Freddie’s cast, some of it the artwork that matches the tattoos that Louis has on his wrists and arms. 

“How about we have a cuppa, go chat a little?” Jay suggests.

Niall nods, and waves to Louis and Freddie as he follows Jay into the kitchen. She pours some water from a fresh kettle to brew some Yorkshire tea, and then takes him to a table in the sun nook to sit down and talk. He feels nervous, knots in his stomach at the idea of going through this for a fourth time. 

“So how was the trip here?” Jay asks.

She seems so warm, so kind, that Niall doesn’t get as anxious as he did when he met Liam’s sobbing mum, or Bressie’s militaristic father. It’s much easier, chatting with Jay. “It was good, thanks,” Niall nods. “I travel to England a lot for business, so the trip is old hat for me.”

“What is it you do?” Jay wonders.

Niall explains his job with his golf management company, what he does for golfers and what the big events are that he attends every year. He runs it out of Dublin, but ends up working in London most of the time - a fact that doesn’t go unnoticed by Jay. “Louis wants to work in England somewhere,” she says. “Dunno if he’s told you. Dunno if he _would_. But it would mean a lot to him, I’m sure, if you would move here to settle down with him. If, you know, that’s what happens.” She looks a little unsure of the fact that her son may not be chosen, especially now that he’s gone and introduced Niall and Freddie. “He’s got so much talent and potential as a teacher but he’s so afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” Niall asks. Louis doesn’t seem like he’s afraid of much at all.

Jay eyes Niall for a moment, like she’s surprised he didn’t know, and says, “Failure, mostly. He knows he can be a good teacher. He’s done placement in a school, for his degree, and he did great. He got top marks. It’s the idea of moving away from here - we’re his only support system, you know - that he’s not sure about. If he moves to a new city with Freddie, that means he’s got no sitter, no daycare, nothing. He’s got to start fresh. As someone who also had a child young, I understand how terrifying it can be.”

“But with me it’d be different,” Niall says, coming to Louis’s defense right away. “I can work from home. If I’m there, I could help him settle in, watch Freddie if he needs, for a school event. We could _attend_ the event, support him. You know?”

Jay smiles. “Yes, I know that now.” She takes a sip of tea and pauses a moment before saying something Louis will never forget. “I’d always hoped there was someone like you out there in the world from my Louis. I was starting to lose hope. I’m very grateful that you two have found each other.”

Niall sits, stunned and speechless, as he processes what she’s said. “I feel so fortunate that he’s even let me in. And god, meeting Freddie was huge,” Niall says. “I’m just really grateful that he trusts me.”

“I’ve never seen him trust anyone outside our family as much as he seems to trust you,” Jay says. “Please remember that, Niall.” She frowns. “Don’t break my baby’s heart.”

Niall nods, accepting her plea, but he can’t say one way or the other. That’s one of the only rules he’s been given. They stand and walk back out into the lounge where Freddie is curled up with Louis watching a film on the telly that Niall’s never heard of. “Hey, can I join you guys?” Niall asks as he walks up to them.

With his one good hand, Freddie reaches out and makes grabby hands at Niall until he sits down on his other side. Niall’s sure he’s in Freddie’s way, that he can’t quite see the telly as well as he could before, but he isn’t complaining so Niall stays where he is. Freddie slumps against him after a little while, and Louis looks over at Niall with a look of such joy it makes Niall swell with happiness.

“Think it’s naptime for the little lad,” Louis whispers.

“Should I carry him to his cot?” Niall asks. He hasn’t been around many kids but he wants to learn what to do - he wants to be able to take care of Freddie if this really does work out.

“I could, or,” Louis shrugs, like he doesn’t want to make Niall do it if he’s disinterested.

Niall smiles. “I want to,” he says. “Show me where his room is?”

Niall stands up and very carefully lifts Freddie, taking care not to jostle his broken arm too much. Freddie goes easily, sighing as he lays his head on Niall’s shoulder, and it’s breathtaking, how easy it is for Niall to fall into a protective, fatherly role. Louis leads Niall down the hallway, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds to ensure that everything is alright, even if it is and he knows it will be, until they reach a bedroom at the end of the hallway. “Here’s his room,” Louis says, showing off a tiny little bedroom with just a cot, a dresser, and a rocker. “You can just lay him down.”

Louis walks to the edge of the cot and picks up the blanket draped over the railing, and watches as Niall slowly lowers Freddie to the mattress. Louis places the blanket over his son and waits for Freddie to settle in and stop wiggling before leading Niall back out of the room. 

They’re barely out the door when Louis stops Niall, a gentle hand around his wrist. Niall turns back to face Louis and raises an eyebrow. “You’re so good with him,” Louis says, his voice breathy and full of relief.

Niall chuckles. “Glad you had faith in me,” he jokes. 

Louis reaches out to wrap his arms around Niall’s waist to hug him, and he murmurs into his shirt. “Don’t joke. I mean it. You’re amazing with him,” he says. “I knew you would be, but knowing it and seeing it are _so_ different.”

Niall’s arms wrap around Louis’s shoulders and they share a quiet moment in the hallway. Finally Louis speaks, his voice a gentle whisper as he looks up at Niall. “He adores you,” he says.

That puts a smile on Niall’s face, and happily he says, “And I adore both of you.”

Louis reaches out, hand cupping Niall’s cheek, to give him a slow, sweet kiss. It’s the most intimate kiss they’ve ever shared, and Niall fully realizes in that moment how much Louis has opened up to him since this all started. After his amazing hometown dates with the other three, it leaves Niall feeling as confused as ever about his feelings.

“Thank you for being okay with him,” Louis says softly.

It makes Niall frown, just the very fact that Louis feels the need to thank him for such a thing, and he shuts him up with another kiss.

Shortly after Freddie wakes from his nap, the rest of Louis’s family arrives, and that’s when the chaos really starts. He’s got so many siblings, whereas Niall’s just got the one, and he gets most of them mixed up. Daisy and Phoebe don’t help him any, seeing as they’re identical twins. Ernest and Doris are precious, both four years old and not nearly as outgoing as Freddie. Doris hides out on Lottie’s lap most of the day, and Ernest walks in a wide radius around Niall until finally Louis picks him up and says, “Alright, come on little bro. We’ve got to go say hi to Niall.”

Louis brings him up to Niall, who was just looking at the photos on the mantle with Fizzy, thankful for her willingness to point out who everyone was in the photos. “Niall, I’ve got someone for you to meet,” Louis says with a smile.

Niall turns around to see Ernest curled up against Louis’s side shyly. “This is my only brother, Ernest. Ernie, meet Niall. He’s my boyfriend,” Louis says.

Niall feels giddy every time he hears Louis call him that - his _boyfriend_ \- and he smiles warmly at Ernest, who glances up at Niall without saying a word. “Hi there Ernie. It’s nice to meet you,” Niall says. He holds out his hand and Ernie pats it with his hand, but doesn’t say anything. “Are you shy?” Niall asks. Ernest nods. “That’s alright. I get shy sometimes, too. But it’s okay, I promise.”

“He’s a really nice guy,” Louis offers. “I wouldn’t date him, otherwise.”

The sentiment puts a smile on Niall’s face. “D’you want to go play a game maybe?” Niall asks. Ernie nuzzles closer to Louis. “Okay, it’s alright, that’s fine,” Niall says with a bit of a laugh. “Maybe next time?”

Ernest wraps his arms around Louis’s neck and refuses to turn around, and Louis rubs his back comfortingly. “He’s got more shyness in him than the rest of us kids combined,” Louis laughs.

“It’s sweet,” Niall says fondly. “Everyone is so great.”

“Louis, love, I can hear Freddie stirring. Would you mind getting him? I’m almost done with dinner,” Jay calls out into the lounge.

Ernie hasn’t let go of Louis, though, and Niall’s noticed this. “I can get him,” he offers. “I’ll just be a minute.”

“He’ll probably need a nappy change,” Louis says. “Mum’s been telling me to toilet train him but I just haven’t had the time yet, and…” 

“It’s fine,” Niall insists. “We’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Niall goes down the hallway, leaving Louis staring after him, stunned. “Did that man just volunteer and then _insist_ on changing a nappy?” Lottie asks.

She’s walked up beside Louis and stared down the hallway with him, both of them shocked. “Yeah, he did,” Louis replies, just as stunned.

“Oh my god. Men like him really _do_ exist,” Lottie says. She’s clearly shocked, as is Louis, because it’s one thing to be alright with someone having children, but it’s certainly another to be willing to care for them - especially to be willing to change their nappy. “I thought you were joking,” she says, nudging him with her elbow.

Louis sighs. “It seems almost too good to be true.”

With a roll of her eyes, Lottie smacks his shoulder and says, “Don’t do that to yourself. He exists, and he’s genuine, and you deserve someone like him.”

“Yes, but…”

“Sure, you didn’t meet him in the most conventional of ways,” she concedes, knowing full well what her brother’s argument is going to be, “but you’ve met him and he’s great so don’t let him go, alright?”

Louis is quiet for a moment, not sure if he should voice the thoughts on his mind. But really, if he can’t tell Lottie, then who _can_ he tell? “I think I love him,” Louis says softly. “I mean, I wasn’t sure? But today… seeing him with Freddie…”

“You’re in love,” Lottie finishes softly.

Louis swallows hard and nods. “Yeah.”

She looks over at Louis and says, “If you love him, you’ve got to tell him. I mean, what if everyone else has, too? You need to let him know how you feel so he _knows_.” Louis looks unsure. He hates being reminded that he’s still one of _four_ significant others in Niall’s life. “I know he can’t say so, but I think he loves you, too. I think you might have just found your husband.”

Louis sighs. “It feels like I have, but… you’re right. Someone else might feel the same way,” Louis says with a frown. He’s not so sure he’ll win, not with a kid in the picture. Nobody else comes with this sort of baggage, and for all he knows, Niall is dealing with a stroppy, kicking, fussing toddler own the hallway right now, changing his mind as he changes Freddie’s nappy. And that’s a terrifying thought.

Niall and Freddie appear moments later, both of them smiling. Freddie is curled up against Niall the way Ernest is on Louis. “He didn’t fuss?” Louis asks.

“He did,” Niall shrugs. “But don’t all kids when they first wake up from a nap?”

Freddie seems to be in better spirits now, after a nappy change and another chance to see Niall, and he stays glued to his side the rest of the evening. During dinner he sits at his chair between Niall and Louis, and after dinner he insists on showing Niall all of his toys.

It works out well, though, because Louis needs to know what’s on his mum’s mind, and he’s got to do it in front of the cameras, for the show.

She’s got tea made for each of them, and Louis sits down with her at the cleared-off dining room table to ask, “Well… what do you think?”

Jay smiles at Louis, a warm, motherly smile that always puts him at ease. “I like him a lot,” she says. “He’s even better than you’d told me.”

Louis smiles down into his cup of tea and shrugs it off. “He’s just… I dunno. I can’t really describe him even if I wanted to.”

“I think you care for him a great deal,” Jay says. “I think you might even love him.”

With a shrug, Louis tries to brush it off, but it means something when his mum picks up on it and doesn’t admonish him for it. “Would it be so bad if I did?” he asks.

“Louis, you know I want you to have the family you’ve always wanted. To find someone to settle down with,” she starts.

Louis sighs. “But?”

“But you also have to remember that he’s still dating three other people,” she says softly. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being in love with him. You should tell him, so he knows where you’re at with this. But you’ve also got to be sure you’re prepared for the fact that his relationships with those other people could mean he leaves you.”

“Mum -,”

“I don’t want him to hurt you, love. I don’t,” she says, noticing the way her words are upsetting Louis. “I think you two would make an absolutely amazing couple. But if he doesn’t choose you, I don’t want you to be devastated.”

“Think I would be, no matter what,” Louis mumbles. “He’s met Freddie now. That changes things.”

“I know,” Jay nods. She takes a deep breath, gathers her thoughts, and says, “I know. That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

Louis doesn’t say a word, just looks up at his mum, dreading what’s going to be said next. “He seems very receptive to the idea of a child being in your lives, if this works out,” Jay says softly. Louis nods, but isn’t sure where his mum is going with this. “But take it from someone who knows, love - it’s not always that easy. It’s idealistic in his head right now. Freddie’s been a gem today. But when he gets used to Niall he won’t always be that great. You should talk to Niall about that, be sure that’s what he wants to deal with one day.”

She’s right, and Louis knows it, but he hates thinking about all the ways this could end badly for him and Freddie. He doesn’t like having to consider all the awful things that could happen after this. 

“I will,” he nods. Louis’s voice is soft, scared.

“I love you so much, Louis. And Freddie, too,” she says, standing up. Louis follows, and they share a comforting embrace. “I just want you both to be happy.”

“I’m happy when I’m with Niall.”

Jay smiles, albeit a bit sadly, and kisses Louis’s forehead. “Well then go out there and tell him how you feel,” she says. “I’ll grab Freddie, get him ready for his bath.”

Louis and Jay walk out into the lounge, and Freddie runs over to show Jay the picture he just colored with Niall. It’s all just scribbles, but Freddie’s so proud, and she asks him to help her hang it on the fridge. He’s surprisingly easy to distract, which allows Louis and Niall a free moment to gather their things so Niall can say goodbye. They’ll be back in Kent in two days’ time for the rose ceremony, and it’s terrifying to think that after all four visits, Niall’s going to have to narrow it down yet again.

“Thank you so much for today,” Niall says, taking Louis’s hand as they walk out the door.

At the end of the front walk there’s a car waiting to take Niall to the manor in Kent, but they pause before he gets there. “I know my family is a little overwhelming, but it was really nice seeing how well you all get along,” Louis admits.

Niall smiles. “You’ve got an amazing son,” he says.

Louis beams at the praise, though he wishes he’d been around a bit more in the past few months. He meets Niall’s eyes and knows he should mention that kids aren’t all fun and games, but he just can’t. Not until he knows for sure whether it’s something he’s going to have to worry about at all.

Instead, Niall reaches out for Louis’s hips and Louis can’t help but blurt out, “I love you.”

He’s expecting Niall to look surprised, or maybe a bit conflicted, but none of that happens. Instead, Niall just smiles - full on _smiles_ \- and leans in for a kiss. He’s not allowed to say it back, even if he might want to, but he hopes Louis feels something akin to the equivalent of _I love you too_ poured into the kiss.

The kiss lasts ages until their breath is gone and their lips are red, and Louis understands why Niall didn’t say it back but he wishes Niall would’ve anyway, that he would have broken the rules for him. “I’ll see you soon,” Niall whispers, leaning his forehead against Louis’s.

“Drive safe,” Louis replies.

Niall dips in for one last kiss, their noses brushing, and they laugh together as the kiss ends and the door to the car opens. Niall climbs in and waves to Louis, heart aching as he disappears into the distance.

*

Meeting all four men back at the manor in Kent where everything started is a terrifying thing for Niall. They’re all waiting in the lounge, dressed their best in suits and ties, looking refreshed from a week back home with their families. 

The hometown dates keep playing over and over in Niall’s mind, all the negatives bubbling to the surface and making him feel uneasy, and all the positives reminding him of the good that will come of this, of the light at the end of all this stress.

Three roses sit on a pedestal next to where Niall stands, legs parted shoulder width apart, hands clasped in front of him. He looks the epitome of strength and confidence, even though inside he feels like he’s crumbling.

If only he could have a future with all of these men, he’d thought to himself on the journey back to Kent from Doncaster. Each man makes him so happy, and in different ways, making it a challenge to discern exactly what it is he wants in the end.

With a heavy sigh, Niall starts the rose ceremony, trying his very best to be fair, open minded, and kind. “Hello everyone,” he says. The four men facing him are silent, all of them looking unsure. It’s the first rose ceremony where nobody has come into the evening with a rose already, from a date. Everyone is on equal ground and clearly it makes them all uneasy.

“So tonight is another rose ceremony, and it’s the hardest I’ve had to do so far,” Niall says. “It was an honor to get to go back to your hometowns, meet your families, and see the life you each lead when we’re not here.” His eyes glance at each person individually. Louis looks ghostly pale.

“These three roses are for the three people who will be joining me next week to Phuket, Thailand. There, we’ll get to have one on one dates, learn more about each other, and of course, there could be the option to spend a night in the fantasy suite,” he explains. Niall feels nervous, forgetting the lines he’d been given. He stumbles over his words just a little, his hands wringing in front of him.

Slowly, Niall reaches over for the first rose. He scans over all four men, feels his own heart racing hard in his chest, threatening to break free of his rib cage.

“Nick.”

Niall tries to focus on the smile that puts on Nick’s face, rather than the way everyone else looks just a bit more discouraged. It’s hard, pleasing everyone. It’s hard knowing that it’s impossible to do so. Nick steps forward and takes the rose from Niall before giving him a big hug. Niall can’t even remember if he’s said the line, _will you accept this rose?_ because he’s so bloody terrified of hurting someone.

His pulse is racing in his ears as Nick goes back to his spot in the lineup, between Bressie and Liam. At the end is Louis, teetering from heel to toe, nervous. Niall feels a little lightheaded, remembering who he and the writers had decided would be next, how much he wishes he could say someone else’s name.

“Liam.”

Eyes wide and full of surprise, Liam steps forward. Niall asks him if he’ll accept the rose and naturally Liam says yes. They share a hug and Liam kisses Niall on the cheek, whispering _thank you_ as he pulls away. It makes Niall’s heart ache, that these men feel like they need to thank Niall for something like keeping them around another week, for not dumping them.

Next is the moment that Niall’s been dreading all day. He looks from one end of the line to the other, from Bressie, to Louis, and then back to Bressie.

It had been hard for Niall, trying to figure out who to keep and who to send home. On the one hand, there’s always going to be the fear in the back of his mind that taking on a child at this point in his life is a crazy thing to do, that Niall’s getting into too much at once, getting engaged and becoming a father right away. But he also remembers the warmth with which Louis’s family greeted him, in stark contrast to the cold, hard way Bressie’s family had grilled him with questions.

There are pros and cons for each, and it comes down to Niall’s feelings, the way his relationships are progressing, the way he feels for each man. 

In the end, there’s one person he’s progressed with more, one person who makes Niall feel like maybe he _is_ in love, that maybe he’s with the man of his dreams, and that’s what makes him confident enough to pick up the last rose and say the final name.

“Louis.”

Bressie lets out a breath and looks down at his feet, and Niall knows he should look over, to put himself through the pain of seeing Bressie react, but Niall’s eyes are glued to Louis. Louis, who is staring incredulously at Niall, his eyes a bit glassy and his hands clutched together in front of him, knuckles white. 

Louis isn’t moving, so Niall tries to coax him a little by asking, “Will you accept this rose?”

It takes until Liam nudges Louis, pushes him towards Niall, for Louis to move or figure out what to do. He walks forward, still shocked by the outcome, and takes the rose. He nods, and then he wraps his arms around Niall’s shoulders, the rose held daintily between his fingers. “I thought you’d been scared away,” Louis breathes into Niall’s shoulder.

“Never,” Niall whispers back, holding Louis in a tight, reassuring embrace.

It takes a few moments but Louis eventually steps away, giving Niall a chance to go say goodbye to Bressie. Louis, Liam, and Nick all huddle together off to the side, looking away as Niall approaches Bressie.

“Can I walk you out?” Niall asks softly.

Bressie’s expression is hard, rough. It’s unlike Niall’s ever seen before. He’s clearly hurt, and Niall can’t help but say, “I’m sorry.”

With a shrug, Bressie starts to leave, and Niall follows. “What can I do?” Niall asks helplessly.

“Not much you can do, yeah? Though it’ll be a bit awkward back in Mullingar if we ever run into each other again,” Bressie says.

He’s got a point, Niall knows, but it was what had to be done. He was progressing more with the other three than he was with Bressie and the thought of battling in-laws for days, weeks, months, or even forever was more than Niall could bear.

When they get to the car out front, Niall reaches out for a hug. Bressie returns it half-heartedly and then turns away, avoiding Niall’s eyes as he gets into the car. “I’ll see you around,” Niall says.

“Yeah,” Bressie replies gruffly.

He’s not looking at Niall, refuses to turn back, so Niall sighs and closes the door. 

It hurts, saying goodbye to Bressie, as it would no matter who he’d chosen to say goodbye to that night, but it was for the best. Niall couldn’t keep stringing Bressie along when he felt like he had better odds, better relationships, with Liam, Louis, and Nick.

Slowly, Niall walks back into the manor, spotting the remaining three in the lounge, huddled together sipping at their drinks. Nick offers a drink to Niall, who takes a big, long swig, finishing off half the glass in one go. It’s sad, seeing how bent out of shape he is, but they’re just glad they still have a shot.

“I know we’ve done a lot of traveling,” Niall says, “But this is going to be worth it. Trust me. We leave tomorrow, and we’ll be in Thailand for a week.”

He gives his best smile and holds up his drink. “Cheers to getting to know each other even better, and to finding love,” Niall says.

Nick, Louis, and Liam hold up their glasses as well, and they take one more drink before parting ways, getting some rest before they travel halfway across the globe again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_Next week on The Bachelor..._ **
> 
> They’re meeting down by the ocean, the water a gorgeous sea green lapping up on the burnt orange sand. It’s unlike any beach they went to in Australia, so differently coloured and bright and vibrant. As soon as Niall sees Louis approaching, he can’t help but speed up just a little.
> 
> Louis greets him with a big hug, his face nuzzled against Niall’s neck. “You fucking kept me,” Louis mutters. “What the fuck. Why?”
> 
> He’s still incredulous about the fact that Niall wants to keep dating him, that Niall’s not afraid of settling down with Louis _and_ a child.
> 
> “Don’t be stupid,” Niall laughs, turning his head to kiss Louis’s temple.
> 
> **
> 
> Niall grins and turns to Liam. “So, your sisters told me that you like to do some crazy things. That you and your best mate did bungee jumping and other stuff like that. So I thought today we’d jump off a cliff into a waterfall,” Niall says casually as he leads Liam through a thicket of trees and to the top of the waterfall, the noise Liam heard earlier.
> 
> Liam’s eyes go wide and he stares for a moment before he turns back to Niall. “Aren’t you scared?” he asks.
> 
> Niall kicks off his shoes and lets out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah. But… I want to do it with you,” he says, nodding to Liam, encouraging him to do the same thing.
> 
> **
> 
> The food is messy, but it’s delicious, and Niall is really glad he let Nick choose what they got for lunch, because it’s _delicious_. They’ve got sticky fingers, but Niall’s fed the last bit of spring roll from Nick’s fingers and everything turns serious a moment when Niall’s tongue flicks out at Nick’s fingers as he takes the bite. With their sunglasses atop their head, eyes shaded by the tin roof, Niall can see the way Nick’s eyes darken just a bit.
> 
> Niall smirks, which makes Nick’s eyebrows raise just a bit. “You’re being a proper flirt today, aren’t you?” Nick asks incredulously.
> 
> “Maybe,” Niall laughs, blushing. He’s not used to being called out when he’s acting a certain way - especially when he’s acting flirty.
> 
> **
> 
> Liam’s quiet for a moment, studying Niall’s face, before his entire expression falls. “You want to know if I’m in love with you, don’t you?” he asks softly.
> 
> Niall’s quiet but never breaks eye contact. It sounds awful, coming from Liam’s mouth like that, but he wants to know _something_ about how Liam’s feeling. Liam’s silent and looks like he can’t quite find the right words.
> 
> **
> 
> “I just wish I knew more of what you were feeling,” Louis replies, trying his very hardest to sound casual.
> 
> He knows he sounds anything but, and Niall catches on right away. Heart pounding hard in his chest, Niall rolls toward Louis and nuzzles up against him, face buried in the crook of his neck. Louis has an arm around Niall’s shoulders and he says softly, “Not your fault that you can’t, though.”
> 
> “I want to, though,” Niall says lamely.
> 
> Louis looks down, but Niall’s too close for him to really be able to study, to figure out what he’s feeling.
> 
> “Louis -,” Niall starts. There, in the private room of their massive, luxurious villa, the words are on the tip of Niall’s tongue.
> 
> **
> 
> Through the closed wooden door of the bedroom, Nick and Niall have the night all to themselves. Before the microphones are shut off, they pick up the sounds of slow, tender kisses. Softly, Nick whispers, "I've been waiting for this night for _so_ long." Niall chuckles, soft and low, and there's a rustling of blankets before the microphones are shut off and Nick and Niall are left in privacy.


	9. Week Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm almost finished with the series and this has been a ride! I'm finished with the finale and have played with the idea of a "dates tell all" sort of chapter, but so far it's not really coming together. I think chapter 10 may be the last chapter, and if you've got more questions you can bring them to me over on Tumblr. :)

It takes ages for them to reach Thailand, with twelve hours from London to Bangkok and then another two hours to get from Bangkok to Phuket. Niall travels first class again, with Liam, Louis, and Nick flying coach. As they approach, Niall stares out the window, down at the bright blue sea surrounding the little ocean, plenty of rainforests and mountains for them to find secret, romantic places in. It’s a romantic destination, according to the writers, and Niall can’t wait to spend some quality time here with the last three men.

After a couple of dark days to try to beat the jet lag, Niall wakes up bright and early to the sun shining into his hotel room. Thinking about the night ahead and what could happen has Niall feeling rather nervous, but knowing that his first date is Louis has Niall feeling incredibly excited. 

They’re meeting down by the ocean, the water a gorgeous sea green lapping up on the burnt orange sand. It’s unlike any beach they went to in Australia, so differently coloured and bright and vibrant. As soon as Niall sees Louis approaching, he can’t help but speed up just a little.

Louis greets him with a big hug, his face nuzzled against Niall’s neck. “You fucking kept me,” Louis mutters. “What the fuck. Why?”

He’s still incredulous about the fact that Niall wants to keep dating him, that Niall’s not afraid of settling down with Louis _and_ a child.

“Don’t be stupid,” Niall laughs, turning his head to kiss Louis’s temple.

When Louis leans away to look into Niall’s eyes, it’s clear that Louis is incredibly touched by the fact that he’s made it to this next week, that he feels like he might actually be engaged by the end of this. “I’ve missed you,” Niall offers, even though it’s only been four days since they last saw each other.

“Hmm, I suppose I might’ve missed you a little bit, too,” Louis teases.

Louis leans in to kiss Niall gently, still feeling completely incredulous that he’s made it to the final three, that he’s in Thailand on a romantic date with Niall, and if he’s really lucky they’ll get to spend the night together, cameras off.

Niall chuckles into the kiss and slides his hand into Louis’s. “Let’s walk a little, alright? Our boat won’t be here for a while yet,” he says.

It’s warm - unbearably warm, almost - in Thailand at this time of year, but wearing swim shorts and a vest makes it a little easier to handle. Louis is dressed in the same, his hair disheveled from the slight breeze, and Niall thinks he looks unbearably handsome.

“It was really great getting to spend time with you and Freddie and the rest of your family last week,” Niall says softly.

Louis laughs and looks down at his feet. “Freddie loves you,” he says. “He wouldn’t stop talking about you after you left.”

Niall leads them to a blanket laid out on the ground especially for them. He sits down and urges Louis to join him. “He’s an amazing kid,” Niall says, nuzzling against Louis, kissing his cheek. “You’ve done so well with him.”

Louis swallows hard and looks over at Niall. “You really think you could take on a husband and a kid all at once?” he asks.

As much as they’ve talked about it, Niall feels like they still haven’t _seriously_ talked about it. He understands why Louis is being so cautious, why he’s asking, and Niall takes a deep breath. “I do, yeah,” Niall says softly.

“It won’t be easy,” Louis warns. “Freddie is a mess. All kids are. He’ll be toilet training soon, and then there’s the messes with foods, and god when he has a bad day he’s a _nightmare_. He’s not all smiles and snuggles. He broke his bloody arm at age _two_ , for god’s sake, so he’ll be trouble. He takes up a lot of time and needs a lot of help with things and he’ll be that way for years to come.” Louis glances over at Niall. “I don’t want to lose you but you should know what’s coming if you choose me.”

Niall nods through Louis’s speech and reaches over to slide his arm around Louis’s waist. “I know. I understand that. He’s going to scream and cry and make messes. He’s going to stress us out and we may not get along when we’re trying to deal with him. And that’s okay,” Niall says. Louis’s eyes widen just a little, surprised that Niall gets it. “Louis - I want us to have this conversation for the last time, okay? I know what comes with choosing you. And I want you to know that I’m _okay_ with that.”

Louis studies Niall closely, almost like he’s trying to sense any sort of lie in there, but Niall means every word. He knows what being with Louis entails and he knows he’s okay with it - and he wants Louis to stop worrying so much. “Look, I’m not upset with you for asking. I understand that you’re always going to have his best interests at heart,” Niall says. “I love that about you, that you care so much about your son. If you can trust that I’m in this, for you and for him, then we can focus on ourselves while we’re here.”

Louis’s eyes are sparkling, reflecting the sea, and he nods slowly. “I’ll try my best,” Louis agrees.

“Good,” Niall grins, leaning in. He dips his head in to kiss Louis softly, the arm around his waist pulling him closer.

Louis sighs into the kiss, leaning against Niall as he does. It’s so nice, being alone on a beach with the person he’s in love with. He’s still incredulous that Niall kept him onto the next week, that Niall sees something with him that could last. 

“What are we doing today?” Louis asks softly.

Niall chuckles and kisses Louis again, scooping his hand out to cup Louis’s stubbly chin. He smiles and whispers against Louis’s lips, “Not a lot. Getting on a boat as soon as it gets here.”

Louis presses into the kiss, his tongue sliding at the seam of Niall’s lips, and he grins before he breaks for air and whispers, “So we can do this until then?”

“Christ,” Niall mutters, and never gets a chance to answer beyond that because Louis is kissing him again, nearly pressing him back into the sand.

It’s second nature, now, to do things like kiss when there are cameras all around. Niall can’t wait for that evening when they’ll be gone and he can see what Louis is really like. 

One of the producers on location with them breaks them apart from the kiss when the boat arrives at shore, and Louis stays by Niall’s side, holding his hand as they’re rowed to a private beachfront villa. The cameras get good shots of them floating through the crisp blue water, a kind, elderly Thai man rowing the boat. Louis’s eyes are sparkling and crinkled at the corners as he smiles the whole way, keeping a tight grip on Niall’s hand since they’re not wearing life jackets. 

When the villa comes into sight, Louis turns to Niall for a moment in surprise. “We’re staying _there_?” he asks.

“Yep,” Niall says, nodding. He’s got a big grin on his face and his sunglasses reflect the water and beaches as he looks at Louis.

Louis keeps his hand in Niall’s as they get to the shore, and Niall climbs out so he can take Louis’s hand and help onto the dock as well. The sun is high overhead and Niall leads Louis up the stairs and into the massive beachfront villa that they get all to themselves.

Just being in the villa has Louis feeling hopeful, thinking ahead to the night and whether Niall will ask him to stay in the fantasy suite. Louis had scoffed at the name of it, at how cheesy and romantic it’s supposed to be, but now that it’s an actual prospect he’s not scoffing. In fact, he’s _nervous_. 

He doesn’t know when the question will come, if at all, and all Louis knows for sure is that he needs to focus on really getting into this thing with Niall and strengthening their relationship.

Louis follows Niall into the villa where there are bathing suits waiting for them on the sofa. “Hmm… swimming?” Louis asks, picking up one of them, a black pair with red pinstripes. 

“Yeah, swimming,” Niall nods, smiling. He picks up the purple, blue, and white striped pair and slides an arm around Louis’s waist. “Go get changed. There’s a bathroom right over there. You’re going to love this.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “It’s just swimming,” he says.

But it’s not, Niall knows, and he can’t wait to show Louis just where it is they’ll be swimming. They take turns changing in the bathroom and before they walk outside, Niall takes that moment to really get a good look at Louis’s body, to admire him. He's got lots of tattoos, and Niall wants to ask about each and every one of them, and Louis is fit but not totally muscular, and he looks like a dad. He looks cosy and domestic and like exactly the type of guy Niall is into.

Louis’s cheeks flush under Niall’s heavy gaze, and he licks his lips before he asks, “What?”

“I’ve just never really gotten to get a good look at you,” Niall says softly. “Not like this.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “Does it matter?”

With a nod, Niall says, “I mean, when it comes to deciding if you’re the one? No. But does it hurt? No.”

“You’re staring, stop that,” Louis mutters. He reaches out for Niall and hugs him.

Niall smiles and says, “I like all your tattoos. Freddie was adorable, wanting us to draw your tattoos on his cast so he could match you.”

“Some of them I like. Some are stupid, and I wish I’d never gotten them.”

“Why?”

Louis shrugs. “They’re stupid? And I got them with people who don’t matter anymore.”

Niall leans away to look into Louis’s eyes and he’s quiet as he studies him. “Just because they don’t matter anymore doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun at the time. Or meaningful or whatever. Like… I obviously don’t know what happened at the time but I think they all look good. They’re unique.”

“A bloody smiley face is unique? The word _oops_?” Louis scoffs.

Louis’s tone of voice makes Niall laugh - actually _laugh_ \- because he’s so serious about such lighthearted tattoos. “Don’t worry about it, alright?” Niall says softly. He leans in to kiss Louis and then says, “I like your tattoos.”

Louis shakes his head and says, “Well, lets see yours then.”

“Haven’t got any,” Niall replies. “I’ve thought about it but never been brave enough.”

Niall’s confession puts a massive grin on Louis’s face and he looks like trouble, the same exact way Freddie would look like trouble when Niall was visiting for the hometown. He loves that he thinks they’re alike, that he knows enough about both to be able to say such a thing. He doesn’t know what the expression on Louis’s face means, but it’s not long before Louis explains.

“Well maybe one day I’ll change that. Hold your hand, make you get one,” Louis laughs.

Niall’s got an arm slung around Louis’s shoulders and he pulls him in for a hug. “Yeah, yeah, we’ll see. I might chicken out,” he says.

“You’d do anything for me,” Louis teases.

Niall would though, is the thing, and as the silence settles around them, the two of them holding each other in nothing but bathing suits in the middle of the villa’s lounge, they both realize it. Niall has already said he’d do everything and anything for Louis, including taking on the responsibility of a child, of a family, right from the very start. That he’d move to a different country, that he’d give up the life he’s been leading to share a life with Louis.

It’s an amazing, hard-hitting realization, and they don’t need to speak to know that they’re thinking the same thing. Louis looks up at Niall, whose blue eyes meet Louis’s, and to try to counteract the serious mood that hit, Louis says, “Let’s get to that pool, yeah?”

“Sure,” Niall nods, pressing a kiss to Louis’s forehead before he takes his hand and leads him through the villa.

Niall had gotten to see it early, so he knew where everything was, and he’s an expert on navigating them through the wide, open space to the back. The windows are huge, floor to ceiling facing the sea, and there’s nothing but blue water and green trees and a sparkling clear blue sky above. “This place is amazing,” Louis says softly.

“This view isn’t even the best part,” Niall says. “Come on.”

He leads Louis through the massive glass French doors that lead to the pool in the back, and Louis’s mouth drops open in surprise as he realizes that not only does the villa have an amazing view, but it’s got an infinity pool, making it look like they’re going to swim right out into the perfect blue sea. 

“God, it’s like if we swim out there we’ll just float away to nowhere,” Louis says.

“Yeah,” Niall agrees. He’s walking down the stairs to the pool, leading Louis with him, and he’s trying actively not to stare too much at the way the water laps up over Louis’s lovely jutting hipbones, and his soft tummy and his tattooed chest.

“You’re staring,” Louis says offhandedly.

Niall’s eyes dart up to catch Louis’s, and Louis is grinning at Niall knowingly, his lips cocked up into a smirk. “You like it,” Niall says, more of a revelation than a question.

Louis shrugs like it’s no big deal, like maybe he does or maybe he doesn’t, and it drives Niall mad. Except it’s also got him smiling at Louis, grinning massively.

Until Louis shoves him into the pool.

Niall’s arms flail and he tries to gather his balance, but it doesn’t work and he falls flat on his back into the water. When he resurfaces, sputtering and coughing, Louis is doubled over in laughter. 

Filled with the urge to retaliate, Niall reaches out for Louis to wrestle him into the water, barely managing to dip him under before Louis is ducking his head down, holding his breath, and charging at Niall’s waist to take him down. They play fight until the urge to breathe is too much, and then Niall reaches out for Louis to hold him, rather than shove him underwater.

His touch is gentle as he comes up for air. Louis reaches out, hands bracing on Niall’s shoulders just in case, but Niall just coughs and shakes some water out of his hair, and he’s relaxing so Louis does too. “That was fun,” Niall says with a grin.

“We’ve gotten way too serious during this whole thing,” Louis shrugs, like it’s no big deal. “We should have fun sometimes.”

“We _do_ have fun,” Niall argues.

“We sit and talk about the future like we’re responsible adults with our lives put together,” Louis sighs.

Niall moves to the corner of the infinity pool, the glass edge facing the sea, and sits down on the bench underwater, like they’re in a hot tub or something. Louis follows, edging up against Niall’s side. “We can talk about the future and be responsible but still have _fun_ ,” Niall argues.

“It hasn’t felt like it so far,” Louis argues.

Niall’s quiet again, studying Louis with a quiet curiosity. This is a side to Louis that he’s never seen, the playful side, the side that makes Louis seem like just a young lad himself, rather than a father, a man with a degree and the desire to find a job.

“Well, I’ll make sure it does, from here on out,” Niall says softly.

Louis looks into his eyes, the corners of his mouth turned down in a very serious frown. “You can’t promise that,” is all Louis can think to say in reply.

And he’s right - Niall can’t promise anything, not really, because there are still three hearts involved as well as his own, and he feels so strongly for each of them that promising something would just be cruel.

Niall isn’t sure what to say in response to Louis, because it’s difficult for him to process that he can’t give Louis what he wants or needs. Not when there are still others involved, others who need just as much validation, as much support.

“I’m sorry,” Niall whispers.

He lowers his gaze, looking down at the water, the sparkling blue taunting him, reminding him that it’s all beautiful, all so idealistic, but it’s also turning out to give Niall the most difficult decision of his life.

“Not your fault now, is it?” Louis says, trying his best to sound supportive. He ducks in for a kiss as Niall shrugs, and clearly Niall thinks that yes, it is a little bit his fault. “I don’t fault you for it,” Louis amends. “Comes with the territory of this whole thing, is all.”

Niall isn’t sure where they managed to find Louis but he’s incredibly glad that they did, because he makes Niall feel wonderful even when his head is telling him that he’s guilty of something, that he’s hurting these people who only came on this journey because they wanted to find love.

“There’s a card inside…” Niall begins. His voice is soft and the crew has to tell him to speak louder, so he does. “I was supposed to give it to you over dinner, but I don’t want to wait. I want you to know now, to have like, a little bit of validation right now, okay?” Niall’s got one finger sliding up and down Louis’s arm slowly, touching the little beads of water gathered along the way, drawing Louis’s skin into gooseflesh with the light, feathery touch. Louis is absolutely silent, and he’s watching Niall closely, and Niall hopes like hell Louis will accept. “I’d like you to stay the night with me, in the fantasy suite,” he says.

Louis doesn’t break eye contact, doesn’t look away or act embarrassed or undeserving. He wants this as badly as Niall does, and the soft smile on his face says so before Louis can even part his lips to say, “I’d like that a lot.”

His acceptance puts a big smile on Niall’s face, and Louis is drawn into a hug in seconds. Somewhere in the back of Niall’s mind he knows that he could take two other men to bed this week, too, but his focus is entirely on Louis. It’s easy to do, with Louis. The man is so unique, so interesting, so full of life that he’d be crazy if his mind wandered to anyone else.

They swim a little longer, and there’s dinner waiting for them inside, but Niall’s too nervous and Louis is buzzing at the thought of being alone with Niall, so anything they film after that is just shit. They get a talking to from the writers, and know that it might mean things will look bad in editing, but all they want is to be alone. They sit down on the floor of the lounge to eat their dinner, talking about football and laughing over dumb stories, and the crew seems pleased enough with the extra footage they’ve gotten.

It takes forever before they’re allowed to be alone, their hair already dried from the swim, their food digested from dinner, and interviews about the day are done. They shed the microphones they’ve had to wear day in and day out, and cameras are packed up, and there’s an excited buzz throughout the entire villa when Niall locks the door after the last crew member leaves. The house is silent - there isn’t a single soul around but the two of them - and at first they stare at each other because they’re not really sure what to do.

“This shouldn’t be weird,” Louis says, his voice a bit flat and annoyed.

Niall laughs nervously as he walks towards Louis, and he says, “I know. It’s nice, having them gone for a bit, but -.”

“But we’ve never been alone, just the two of us,” Louis finishes for him. “Never just you and me. Usually there’s a cameraman around, too.”

Niall slides his hands over Louis’s hips and tries to figure out what to do next. “You okay?” Niall asks.

He’s a bit terrified, thinking maybe Louis isn’t as comfortable being alone with him as he might have hoped. Louis looks up at Niall, and something flickers through his eyes, like recognition of Niall’s worry. “Yeah, I’m fine,” Louis nods. “Honestly. I just don’t know what to do first. There’s so much we could do, and we’ve only got one night.”

“Come on,” Niall says. He leads Louis into the bedroom and closes the door behind them, each move slow and deliberate.

The silence is deafening as Louis follows Niall’s lead, and when Niall holds him, Louis leans into him, arms on his biceps. “I love you,” Louis says again, because he can, because it feels totally different when there are no cameras around.

It means the feelings are there, that this isn’t just for show on the telly, and it really does hit Niall deep in his chest. Niall smiles at Louis as he looks into his eyes, and the two of them lean forward together to share a kiss, deep and pure.

Louis looks troubled when he pulls away, though, and Niall notices right away. “What’s wrong?” he asks.

He’s not sure Louis hears him, the way Louis tossed himself at the bed, messing up all the blankets and pillows with one throw of his body. Niall follows Louis, climbing onto the bed slowly and lying down next to Louis. 

“I just wish I knew more of what you were feeling,” Louis replies, trying his very hardest to sound casual.

He knows he sounds anything but, and Niall catches on right away. Heart pounding hard in his chest, Niall rolls toward Louis and nuzzles up against him, face buried in the crook of his neck. Louis has an arm around Niall’s shoulders and he says softly, “Not your fault that you can’t, though.”

“I want to, though,” Niall says lamely.

Louis looks down, but Niall’s too close for him to really be able to study, to figure out what he’s feeling.

“Louis -,” Niall starts. It’s hard for him because he doesn’t want to break the rules, and technically he’s not since they’re not on camera, this won’t be on film. But he doesn’t want to toy with anyone’s emotions. Saying _I love you_ back is the most validation a person could ask for. It’s supposed to be saved for the finale. 

But there, in the private room of their massive, luxurious villa, the words are on the tip of Niall’s tongue and he can’t hold them back any longer.

“I love you, too.”

The room is still and silent. Louis isn’t saying anything and for a split second, Niall thinks he might’ve gone and fallen asleep. When Niall sits up he sees that Louis is lying there, very much awake, and staring with an incredulous expression on his face.

“Niall - you can’t -,” 

Niall cuts Louis off with a kiss, because he’s just gone and broken the rules for Louis. He won’t have Louis sit and tell him that he’s wrong, or that he can’t. Niall _does_ love him, of that he’s absolutely sure, and he’s just risked a lot of trouble by saying something now rather than later.

“I do,” Niall says softly. “I love you, and I love Freddie, and I love what we have.”

“Niall -,” Louis protests again.

“Stop that,” Niall says, shutting Louis up with a kiss. “Stop trying to tell me I don’t, or that I’m wrong. I mean it, Louis.”

This time when Niall pulls away, Louis is looking up at him with a mixture of so many things that it’s overwhelming just to see, never mind how Louis must be feeling. There’s confusion and surprise and a little joy hidden somewhere, and it’s impossible for Niall to really read him, to make sense of it.

“You’re thinking too much,” Niall says softly, pushing some of Louis’s fringe out of his eyes. “I’ve never seen you quite this serious. Stop it.” He pokes Louis in the side to try to ease some of the tension in the room.

“This whole thing is so unbelievable,” Louis says softly, changing the subject. He rolls closer to Niall, their legs tangling together where they lay atop the blankets. “I’d auditioned as a joke, did you know? But the further I got in the selection process the more I kind of wondered if maybe this would be good for me. To date, at least. Never thought I’d make it this far, but here I am.”

Niall smiles, thankful that Louis is opening up even more. It feels so special, every time Louis trusts Niall with his innermost workings. “I’m glad you did it,” Niall says. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Yeah, because you love me,” Louis says, and he sounds like he’s meant to be teasing, but there’s a hint of something in his voice, something like doubt.

“Yes, I do,” Niall replies firmly, with every intention of wiping away every ounce of doubt that remains.

Louis curls into Niall’s side and their lips meet easily, nobody quite sure who initiated the kiss that time. Niall’s hand slides over Louis’s hip as they lay on the bed, facing each other and kissing. It’s incredible, feeling so in love and so loved in return. Louis’s breath is short in his chest and his mind moves doggedly, too focused on Niall’s lips and hands to worry about much else. 

When Louis hooks his leg over Niall’s, all self-restraint is gone. Niall rolls onto his back, bringing Louis with him, their legs tangled together as Louis straddles Niall’s waist. The kiss never breaks, and Louis lets out a rather unmanly squeak in surprise at the movement. Niall chuckles and Louis bats at his shoulder, but they don’t stop.

Niall’s hands slide over Louis’s smooth hips and over the swell of his bum and the gesture makes Louis cant his hips down on instinct, drawing a throaty moan out of Niall. “It’s been,” Louis breathes, “a long time since I’ve been with someone…”

Their lips never part for long, not even to speak. Niall’s gentle, a hand sliding up Louis’s spine as he replies, “It’s alright. We’ll go slow.”

Louis steals another kiss, heated and heavy, and Niall groans at how wonderful every touch is. They feel like teenagers again, grinding against each other, hands wandering under shirts. Louis trembles when he comes, hot and heavy against Niall’s chest, and Niall clutches him close, coming down from his own orgasm, sweat beading at his brow. 

Niall gently rolls them, Louis landing softly at his side, and he kisses Louis’s temple, letting him catch his breath. “Oh god, I really _am_ old,” Louis groans. “I never would have been this worn out before Freddie.”

Louis’s words draw laughter out of Niall, bright and loud and happy. “Are you saying that having children lowers your stamina?” Niall asks. “I dunno, that might be a game changer.”

Louis smacks a hand against Niall’s chest and says, “Think we could get my stamina back up there. It’d help, having a partner.”

“I know, love,” Niall says, and he leans in for a kiss. Louis presses into it lazily until he finally breaks away and whispers, “I’m all sticky. I need a shower.”

Niall’s smiling fondly at Louis as he watches him sit up and lazily climb out of bed, groaning as he stretches out his back. “Want some company?” Niall asks, waggling his eyebrows for good measure.

“Hmm, I suppose,” Louis jokes, looking uninterested, the corners of his mouth playing up in a smile though.

Niall jumps out of bed and follows Louis into the bathroom, where they step under the spray together and both try not to stare too much at the other, completely naked and exposed to them for the first time ever. Niall touches Louis gently, reverently, his hands massaging through Louis’s hair, helping him get cleaned up before Louis does the same for Niall in return.

The mood grows significantly more lazy, more relaxed, until finally they wander out of the bathroom with towels around their waists and shuck them before climbing into bed. “Won’t the cameras be back and see us like this?” Louis asks with a frown.

He’s done a lot of stupid things but he doesn’t want to add being completely naked on national telly to the list. 

“They’ll wake us up first,” Niall explains. “They’ll want us to have mics on for all that cheesy staged morning-after stuff.”

Louis laughs. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds it incredibly over-the-top.”

“Just a few more weeks,” Niall promises, pressing his lips to Louis’s.

Louis yawns right in the middle of it, making Niall laugh so hard he’s nearly doubled over in bed. “Am I that boring?” he teases.

“Yep,” Louis says simply, lying out on the bed, arms tucked behind his head.

Niall stays slightly curled up, deciding to use Louis’s chest as a pillow. Louis pulls the blankets up over both of them and drapes an arm around Niall’s shoulders, incredibly content with their private night in. He’s sure people will make their own assumptions, but Louis doesn’t care. In that moment, all that matters is the way he feels for Niall, and the fact that Niall actually feels it in return.

Louis hadn’t pictured their night ending up anything like it actually had, but he wouldn’t change a thing. He feels secure in his relationship with Niall, feels like maybe this is it, he’s found _the one_. He drifts off into a peaceful sleep with Niall in his arms, and he gets the best night’s sleep he’s had in a very long time.

Louis wakes up with a warm arm around his waist and the feeling of Niall’s body pressed against his back. He’s still having trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that they’ve just spent a whole night together without any cameras, any interruptions, and it makes him giddy, eager to wake up and face the day. There’s someone pounding at the door to the villa, a crew member most likely, so Louis groans and rolls over. “Niall. Go answer the door,” Louis grumbles, jostling Niall from his sleep. “Go on.”

“You do it,” Niall mumbles.

Louis aims a not-so-friendly kick at Niall’s shin, and that makes his eyes open fast. “What the -?”

Louis is chuckling and Niall’s face has still got lines from the pillowcase on it so it only makes Louis laugh harder. “You’re ridiculous,” Niall says, trying his very hardest not to laugh.

“Get the door please.”

“You’ve got to get dressed, then,” Niall says, climbing out of bed. He pulls on his shorts and vest from the night before, and tosses some clothes over to Louis as well.

Louis grumbles something whilst he gets dressed, but complies, and before he knows it they’re surrounded by cameras again, microphones tucked away on their bodies, hidden, the pack for the microphone attached to his shorts. It’s just a few more hours and then he’s out of the camera’s eye for a while - Louis just wishes he’d gotten more camera-free time with Niall. And maybe one day that’s what he’ll get, if he’s lucky. 

Niall carries in a tray with some fruit and scones and tea on it, and Louis pours them both tea and makes a face as Niall adds sugar to the perfect blend of tea and milk Louis had poured for them. “Never teach my son to take his tea like that,” Louis says, already talking like he’s won this whole process. “He’s got to learn to do it the _right_ way.”

With a laugh, Niall nods and says, “I promise.”

The best part about it is they act like they grew closer overnight, but not a single soul other than the two of them knows that Niall said _I love you_ back to Louis. And it can stay that way, and it’ll be wonderful, because having that secret tucked away in his heart means saying goodbye to Niall this week doesn’t terrify Louis. He knows that at the rose ceremony, everything will be okay.

Louis feels confident that he’s going to make it through for another week. 

They’re filmed saying goodbye outside of the villa, Louis’s arms around Niall’s shoulders, one hand reaching out to poke at the sunglasses blocking Niall’s gorgeous blue eyes from Louis’s sight. “I’ll miss you,” Louis says with a smile.

“I’ll miss you, too. Relax and enjoy this place, alright?” Niall says. “I’ll see you at the rose ceremony.”

Louis leans in for a kiss, trying his very hardest to forget that Niall is about to do the same thing with two other men that he’s just done with him. “Love you,” Louis whispers, and turns away to get in the boat before Niall can do something stupid like say it back while the cameras are rolling.

A boat takes Louis back through the sea the way they came, and there’s one last cheesy shot filmed of Niall waving out to sea, Louis waving back as he disappears onto the horizon, before Niall is cornered for an interview. “How are you feeling about the rest of the week?” he’s prompted.

“Nervous. Last night was so amazing. If I have nights with Liam and Nick that were as great as that, my decision is going to be _very_ hard,” Niall says. “It already is, but it’ll get even harder, I mean. They’re all such great guys.”

Niall’s pressed - nearly _harassed_ \- for more details on the night, but he holds his ground and refuses to answer, and hopes Louis does the same if he’s under this much pressure. Now Niall has a couple of hours to gather himself and freshen up before he’s meant to pick up Liam.

Time is short in Thailand for The Bachelor; there’s still two more overnights, a rose ceremony, and a trip back to Ireland in the remaining four days.

Niall avoids cameras as he gets ready for his next date, not wanting to do an interview because he _needs_ to clear his mind before this date with Liam. He’s got to quickly switch gears from time with Louis to time with Liam, because he wants things to be fair for everyone.

Niall is taken into the small village near where he’s going to be meeting Liam, to follow through on their plans for the day. He stands in his swim shorts and a button down shirt, sunglasses on and his hair combed up in a quiff. He feels refreshed after a shower and stands facing the road, waiting for Liam to approach.

When the car pulls up, Liam climbs out looking so handsome Niall can hardly breathe. He’s dressed the same as Niall, in swim shorts and a button down, Aviators on his face, tattoos on display. “Hey,” Niall says, beaming at Liam.

“Hiya,” Liam replies, reaching out for Niall as he approaches.

They share a warm embrace, Niall tucking his face into the crook of Liam’s neck. He notes the way Liam smells so good, feels so strong, and something about Liam is just so _safe_. “It’s so good to see you again,” Liam says softly as he holds Niall close.

Niall looks up at Liam and smiles before he pulls him into a kiss. “You too,” he replies.

Slowly they step out of their embrace and Niall’s hand finds Liam’s easily. “I’ve got something really great planned for us today,” Niall says.

“Don’t you always?” Liam asks as he gives Niall’s hand a little squeeze.

Niall leads Liam down a path that leads them through the village and slowly the little shacks turn into more and more trees until they’re no longer in the village anymore. They’re surrounded by nature and the whole time, Niall makes sure Liam had a good week with his parents after Niall left Wolverhampton, and that he had a good trip to Thailand.

“What’s that noise?” Liam asks suddenly, cutting off his story about the flight midway through.

Niall grins and turns to Liam. “So, your sisters told me that you like to do some crazy things. That you and your best mate did bungee jumping and other stuff like that. So I thought today we’d jump off a cliff into a waterfall,” Niall says casually as he leads Liam through a thicket of trees and to the top of the waterfall, the noise Liam heard earlier.

Liam’s eyes go wide and he stares for a moment before he turns back to Niall. “Aren’t you scared?” he asks.

Niall kicks off his shoes and lets out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah. But… I want to do it with you,” he says, nodding to Liam, encouraging him to do the same thing.

Liam follows Niall’s lead and kicks off his shoes, then takes off his shirt, and that’s when Niall pauses, staring. Liam doesn’t realize it at first, as he tucks his sunglasses into one of his shoes so he doesn’t lose them. It’s not until he stands up and turns around to see Niall admiring his arms and back that he realizes he’s being ogled.

“What?” Liam asks.

Niall swallows hard and laughs again, folding his own sunglasses up to put on his pile of things. “Nothing,” Niall says with a smile. “You’re just really handsome is all.”

“Stop that,” says Liam with an embarrassed laugh. He reaches out for Niall, fingertips dancing over his hip, and says, “You’re making me blush.”

“I mean it,” Niall insists. He cups Liam’s jaw in his hand and leans in for a kiss. “You’re handsome, and it’s the perfect distraction because this is bloody terrifying.”

Liam’s whole expression changes, smile bright and eyes crinkled at the corners before he leans in for another kiss. “You’ll be fine,” he says. “I’ll hold your hand the whole time.”

“Good,” Niall says. “I’m gonna need that.”

Liam pulls out of the hug and takes hold of Niall’s hand again. “You’re sure you want to do this?” he asks, as though he was the one who planned it rather than Niall.

“Yeah, I want to. You and me,” Niall nods. They step up to the edge of the rocks, the roar of the waterfall a reminder of the big jump they’re about to make.

“This is so crazy!” Liam shouts.

Niall squeezes his hand hard and they step up, toes curling over the edge of the rocks. “Okay, we have to do it now,” Niall says. “Or I'm gonna wimp out.”

Liam grins at Niall and squeezes his hand before he says, “Alright, let's go!”

He swings their arms back and bends his knees, bracing himself to leap forward and off the rocks. Niall lets out a loud, terrified sounding shout, a cry echoing out to the empty world around them, Liam's laughter mixing with Niall’s wail. It feels like time slows down as they leap off the edge, hands clasped and legs flailing as they plummet toward the bright blue water below.

Niall looks over at Liam who looks ecstatic, a massive grin on his face as the water grows closer until they plunge deep down. Their hands part so they can swim back to the surface, and when they reemerge, Liam swims to Niall, laughing and grinning and looking more overjoyed than niall’s ever seen him before. “Oh my god that was amazing,” Liam laughs as Niall sputters and shakes his head so his hair will get out of his eyes.

Niall reaches out for Liam and they swim towards the shore, close enough so they can stand in the water. Liam follows, fingers lingering by Niall’s hip, keeping him close and safe. “You good?” Liam asks as he finds steady footing on the shore.

The water is lapping around their chests now where they stand towards the side of the pool of cerulean blue water. “Yeah, I'm good,” Niall nods, smiling back at Liam.

“God that was so amazing,” Liam says, sliding his hands over Niall’s hips, settling them at the small of his back. “Thank you.”

Niall chuckles and leans in for a kiss. He breathes into it for a moment, arms around Liam's shoulders. “God my heart is still pounding,” Niall says.

Liam lifts his hand to cover Niall's heart and he feels it racing under his palm. Liam's eyes widen as he feels Niall's pulse, incredulous. “Oh god you were bricking it weren't you?” he asks.

Niall laughs and nods. “Yeah,” he says, “but it was so worth it. Oh my god it was fun.”

“Wanna do it again?” Liam asks eagerly.

Niall collapses against Liam, laughing as he hugs him, and says, “You trying to kill me?”

Liam wraps his arms protectively around Niall and says, “Not at all. Take your time, love.”

Niall nuzzles into the hug, turning his head so his lips brush Liam's neck as he says, “Thanks. Promise we can do it one more time, before we go.”

Liam rubs a hand up and down the smooth skin of Niall's back and he lets them share the tender moment in peace, nothing but the roar of the waterfall around them. Niall listens to the beating of Liam's heart, closes his eyes and melts into how strong and warm Liam is, and he wishes he knew more of what was going on in Liam's mind. To this very day, Liam is the only one who hasn't said _I love you_ to Niall.

Niall wants to ask, but the moment is so still and serene that he bites his tongue and saves it for later. Instead he presses a soft kiss to the birthmark on Liam's neck, and then to his pulse point, and then looks up to meet Liam's eyes. His eyes have darkened just a bit and he seems surprised by the gesture. Niall smiles, and without a word pulls Liam into a kiss. It's perfect, and he knows as the kiss deepens that the cameras will get the shots they want, too, of Niall and Liam kissing and inching towards intimacy in the beautiful, romantic setting of Thailand.

Niall is true to his word and jumps one more time with Liam, and shortly after that and a little cheeky game of chasing and tickling through the water, they climb out and back up the hill to get to their clothes and dry off.

They dress again, quickly drying in the warm sun, and walk hand in hand back to the village. Liam tells Niall that he's never dreamed of being able to go to a place this nice, that's how impossible it would be for him given where he's at in life. Niall feels the same, his business really only taking him around Europe right now. “God, I’d love to see Europe,” Liam says softly.

Niall looks over and says, “Well… maybe someday I can take you.”

Liam’s cheeks flush and he clearly would like that, but won’t say so. It’s like even in the top three, he’s afraid to get his hopes up, to let Niall in. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Niall, though he keeps quiet about it for now. They reach the village where there’s a rickshaw waiting for them, a kind gentleman waiting to take them to the resort where they’ll be having dinner together.

Liam puts an arm around Niall’s shoulders as they’re taken over the rickety streets to a beautiful resort at the edge of the sea. There are dozens of cabins built into a rocky hillside, each a private suite for guests, with a large restaurant down on the beach. They’re taken as far as they can go, and then cameras are switched off as they take turns in the cabin reserved for them, changing into outfits for the evening. 

Niall fixes his hair, puts on some cologne, and puts on khaki shorts and a navy button down shirt with white spots on it. He waits outside for Liam, who looks jaw dropping in a denim shirt and black shorts, and Niall loses his breath just a little bit as he watches his handsome boyfriend approach. He looks refreshed and Niall can’t wait for the night ahead.

They walk down the stairs built into the rocky hillside, all the way down to the restaurant where they have a private candlelit dinner set up for them, the sunset over the sea as the backdrop for their evening. 

They eat without cameras, and they’re not allowed to talk about anything important, as the rules of the show dictate. The cameras don’t want to pick up on the sound of everyone eating, so they’re left with strict rules until they’re finished eating. New, freshly made plates are set out in front of them and the microphones are turned back on, and that’s when the TV magic starts again. Liam takes a sip of his wine, one arm around Niall’s shoulders as they sit side by side for “dinner.”

“Thank you for today,” Liam says, sounding so genuinely happy. “It was amazing. I can’t believe we jumped off a _cliff_.”

Niall laughs and leans a little closer to Liam. “I know. Twice. Scariest thing I’ve ever done,” he says.

“You’re amazing,” Liam whispers before leaning in for a kiss.

Niall presses into it and the nagging thoughts of not really knowing where Liam’s at come back, and he can’t fight the conversation anymore, even though he’d much rather stay in their safe little cocoon of happiness just a little longer. When he breaks the kiss, Niall looks timidly up at Liam before he takes a breath and says, “I wanted to talk to you about something, Liam.”

There’s a flicker of worry in Liam’s eyes, but he doesn’t shy away or look afraid. “Anything,” he says earnestly.

“I guess… at this point, I’m not really sure where you’re at. Like, in the relationship,” Niall says softly. He drops his hand to Liam’s thigh and asks, “How are you feeling about us? What’s been on your mind?” He brushes his thumb over Liam’s leg and asks, “Is there anything you need from me?” Niall frowns. “I know it’s a lot to ask but two weeks from now I’ll be getting engaged, and I just want us to keep progressing.”

Liam’s throat bobs as he swallows hard, processing it all in his head. “I… I feel good about this. Us. I thought you did, too,” he says softly.

“I do,” Niall insists quickly. “I feel good about us, too. But I just think we could talk more, about how we’re feeling and stuff.”

Liam’s quiet for a moment, studying Niall’s face, before his entire expression falls. “You want to know if I’m in love with you, don’t you?” he asks softly.

Niall’s quiet but never breaks eye contact. It sounds awful, coming from Liam’s mouth like that, but he wants to know _something_ about how Liam’s feeling. Liam’s silent and looks like he can’t quite find the right words.

“I care about you a lot,” Liam says softly. “Like, you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. Honestly.” He pauses and glances up at Niall, who’s watching him patiently. “It’s just that it’s really hard for me to open up, I guess. I used to all the time, but…”

“I know,” Niall nods. He’s speaking gently, hoping he doesn’t upset Liam, and says, “Andy told me everything. About when you were younger, and Sophia, and coming out and all that…”

Liam frowns. “I really do care about you,” he insists. “And I think I’m falling in love with you but I just need more time. I want to trust you with everything, and I already feel like I can tell you so much, but these things take time.” The frown etches deeper on his face and he says again, “I need time.”

Time. Niall knows it’s a reasonable request. If these were normal circumstances he’d say yes, right away, but given their situation he can’t exactly just guarantee time. “I want to give you that,” Niall confesses. “I really do.”

Liam looks downtrodden as he gazes into Niall’s eyes. “I’m falling for you. Really. I hope you know that,” he says.

Liam’s fingers are brushing up and down Niall’s upper arm and he looks incredibly nervous. “I know,” Niall whispers. He smiles at Liam and leans in for a kiss. “I can feel it.”

Niall doesn’t know what else to say, how else to show that he feels the way Liam’s heart is opening up to him, other than by reaching out for the card on the table. “I wanted to give you this,” he says as he hands it to Liam.

It takes Liam a few moments to open it and read it, when he does, though, it’s an invitation to stay in the fantasy suite with Niall and he smiles, looking relieved, as he nods and says, “Yes, please. I’d like that.”

Liam looks to be filled with nervous energy now, as he follows Niall’s lead and stands up. They walk up the rickety stairs on the hill until they reach the small cabin in the hillside that’s been rented just for them, for the night. It’s got a gorgeous view of the sea and the mountains and it feels like they’re in Thailand again. Sometimes when they’re surrounded by cameras, Niall forgets they’re in a foreign land.

The cameras follow them in and for a moment, Liam looks baffled, but Niall whispers, “Soon,” and Liam calms again. 

Niall walks to the bar and uncorks a bottle of wine for the two of them. He pours some red for each of them and then walks to the sofa to sit down with Liam, holding his hand.

The alcohol helps to soothe their nerves as they sit together, curving together naturally, Niall against Liam’s side, Liam’s arm back around his shoulders like at dinner. Half a glass of wine later, Liam’s leaning in for a kiss and it’s growing heated fast. Niall nearly drops his glass of wine as he presses closer to Liam, the kiss deepening, Liam’s tongue sliding gently over his lips. “I want to be alone with you,” Liam whispers.

Niall smiles and presses one last kiss against Liam’s lips before slowly leaning away. His lips are dark and he doesn’t want to step away for Liam, not even for a moment, but he does. Niall holds out his hand to Liam, who takes it eagerly. They leave their wine glasses forgotten on the coffee table as they walk into the bedroom, cameras catching their every move.

After the cameras get the shots they want, Liam and Niall have to come out of the bedroom again, to take off the microphones and so Niall can lock the door once they leave. When the cabin is finally empty, Niall turns to Liam, who looks incredibly nervous again. “You alright?” Niall asks as he walks back to Liam to give him a hug.

“Yeah,” Liam nods, sliding his hands around Niall’s waist. He feels exhilarated, being with Niall without cameras around. “I’ve just never done this before.”

Niall looks up at Liam curiously. “Done what?”

Liam looks sheepish before he says softly, “Sex.”

Gently, Niall slides his arms around Liam’s shoulders to comb his fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “We - we don’t have to,” Niall reminds him. “That’s not what this night has to be about, you know.”

Liam shrugs. “It just seems like the whole reason they shut off the cameras, you know?” he says. “If you want to, we can.”

Niall can tell exactly what’s going on by the sound of Liam’s voice, and he leans in for a kiss. “Let’s just go get into bed and see what happens, yeah?” he suggests.

With a nod, Liam follows Niall into the bedroom, the door closing with a click as they get complete and total privacy. Liam fumbles with the buttons on his shirt, opening them as his cheeks flush. “Hey, hey, it’s alright,” Niall says, reaching out to grasp Liam’s hands, to stop him. “No need to undress. This is massive for you.”

“It’s what the others are doing, isn’t it?” Liam asks.

Niall frowns. He studies Liam for a moment and realizes where so many of these insecurities are coming from. Niall takes Liam’s hand and leads him to the bed, sitting down with him and mulling over the words to say in his head.

Something about the moment feels so pivotal, so important, that Niall really doesn’t want to mess up and say the wrong thing. He slides his fingers through Liam’s and looks up at him, making sure he keeps eye contact as he says, “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll tell you. But you don’t have to do what they do in order to make me happy. I’m only happy if you’re comfortable. And clearly you’re not, right now.”

“Tell me,” Liam pleads. “Did you sleep with them?”

Niall’s expression softens and he frowns a little. “No. I mean - I’ve only been on dates with you and Louis so far. But no, Louis and I didn’t have sex. We fooled around a bit but that doesn’t mean you’ve got to do it,” Niall says. “You don’t have to compare yourself to them. I like you for who you are and how different you are from them.”

“I’ve never been with a man before,” Liam says softly.

“Let’s lay down, alright?” Niall suggests. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. I mean that.”

Niall climbs onto the bed, never taking his eyes off of Liam, and he pulls back the covers so they can climb in together. Nobody undresses, it just stays innocent as Liam curls up under the blankets next to Niall, this time Niall with his arm around Liam’s shoulders. “Alright?” Niall asks softly.

“Yeah, alright,” Liam nods. “Sorry I’m such a mess. I’m so nervous. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“You’re not disappointing me, I promise,” Niall insists. He holds Liam a little closer and says, “Let’s talk about something else for a bit, alright?”

Liam lets out a breath and reaches out for Niall’s hand, threading their fingers together where they lie on Niall’s chest. “Like what?” he asks.

Niall considers it for a moment before he says, “Tell me about how you became a fireman. How do you just decide to do that for a living?”

It’s an easy question, safe territory, talking about something like this. Liam closes his eyes and a smile plays on his lips. “I wanted to help. I always do,” he says. “I like taking care of people and making sure they’re alright. I was rubbish at school. Bit of dyslexia mixed in with just not really having a good time, what with no friends and all.” Liam shrugs. “So it was an easy choice. I was already training for boxing and cross country, and there was a recruiter at my school, told me to consider it. I showed up for a demo class, like an information session? And I loved it. Signed up right then.”

Niall’s quiet, fingers tracing shapes into Liam’s back as he’s holding him. “That’s incredible,” he says, sounding reverent and in full awe of Liam. And he really _is_ , truthfully. “You’re so selfless, I dunno how you do it.”

“Andy says it’s my weakness. Calls it my Achilles Heel. I’m apparently nice _to a fault_ ,” Liam explains.

“It doesn’t sound like a fault to me,” Niall says. “At least when it comes to being a fireman. Going around and risking your life for the well being of others is something that _someone’s_ got to do. And if you’re brave enough to do it, you should. And you do. Don’t let someone talk you out of that.”

“I wouldn’t, ever,” Liam insists, and Niall’s relieved when he hears a bit of a smile in Liam’s voice. “It’s the other stuff. The personal stuff? That’s where it’s to a fault.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like how I was going to sleep with you because I felt like it was what you wanted. I get caught up in the moment and I just really want to make people happy. And I shouldn’t do that,” Liam says. “Even just ten minutes later I realize how dramatic and stupid I was being. And I’m sorry.”

Niall smiles fondly, burying a kiss in Liam’s soft brown hair. “I noticed it,” he says. “I wouldn’t have let you do something you were clearly so nervous about.”

“I want to one day,” Liam insists.

Niall nods, his chin bumping the top of Liam’s head. “I know. I believe you. Time, is what I think you said you needed, right?” he says with a smile.

Liam’s grinning too, and he looks up at Niall, and he says, “Thanks.”

“Of course,” Niall says. 

He leans in for a proper kiss, pulling Liam closer, up the bed a bit. The kiss grows more heated, Liam’s lips parting, his tongue tasting Niall’s lips, hands wandering underneath Niall’s shirt. It’s wonderfully intimate in its own way, in a way that Liam’s okay with and Niall’s never quite had with anyone else. His heart races and he kisses back, moaning softly into Liam’s mouth until they’re both too tired to continue. They curl up, then, arms and legs tangled together, sleep claiming them quickly.

Liam wakes just as the sun is rising, a flash of sunlight off the equipment out their window waking him. He lets the camera crew in while Niall’s still sleeping, and he lets them get their shots of him in his boxers and a vest, brewing tea for the two of them. Liam hopes Niall doesn’t mind that he’s let them in, that they’re getting actual video footage that they can use in the show of Niall curled up in bed in nothing but his pants. He chuckles at the thought of Niall not finding out until he watches it back, thinking he looks a bit silly and childish, not as put-together as he usually does.

Liam wakes Niall when he brings him tea and some toast and a bowl of fruit for them to share, and it makes Niall’s heart feel close to bursting at how sweet Liam is, letting him sleep and making him such a nutritious breakfast. “Sleep well?” Niall asks as they sit in bed, cross legged, eating breakfast off the tray.

“Yeah,” Liam smiles, looking far more at peace than he had the night before. “You?”

“Really well,” Niall nods. “Thanks for last night.”

Liam looks confused for a brief second, because he’d been a hot mess the night before, if he’s being honest. But Niall seems content and happy so Liam’s not going to overthink it. “Of course,” Liam says. “It was wonderful.”

They finish breakfast and then it’s time to say goodbye, Niall facing a date with Nick in just two hours. Liam holds Niall in a warm embrace at the doorway to the cabin, pressing a kiss to Niall’s forehead before he says, “I’ll see you soon?”

“Yeah,” Niall nods, smiling at Liam. He’s trying not to think about how he’s got to say goodbye to someone in just two days.

Liam leans in to capture Niall’s lips in a gentle, sweet kiss, and he lets it linger as he leans away. Niall blinks his eyes open slowly and when he sees Liam watching him, he smiles, cheeks flushing a bit. “See you soon,” he says again before opening the door.

With one last wave over his shoulder, Liam waves goodbye, and then Niall’s got to close the door. He’s pulled aside for an interview but all he can think to say is that he’s confused… so incredibly confused… and he doesn’t know how he’s going to make a decision unless his date with Nick goes horribly.

The nagging thought in Niall’s brain the whole time he’s taking a shower, though, is that his moments with Nick _never_ seem to go horribly. Nick is a gentleman, and he’s hilarious, and he’s so sweet to Niall, and it’s hard to imagine a date with Nick going poorly.

Dressed in a nice pair of light denim skinny jeans and a red vest. He’s got his sunglasses on and he’s excited to meet up with Nick in the city and show him the first stop of the day.

Nick walks up the sidewalk looking incredibly handsome in his torn denim and his old Rolling Stones tee, his hair in a messy quiff and sunglasses on his face. He’s got a massive grin plastered on his face and Niall’s breath leaves his chest for a moment. “Hello, love,” Nick says, and Niall feels his heart skip the same way it did when he approached him outside his house in hometowns last week, the same way it has so many times before.

“Hi, Nick,” Niall grins, so pleased to see him.

Nick envelopes Niall in a warm, inviting hug, and the world stops for a moment as Niall melts into it, his face buried in Nick’s neck, a huge smile on his face. “I missed you,” Nick says as he rubs Niall’s back, doesn’t break the embrace.

“Missed you too,” Niall replies.

Something about Nick is so completely different from Liam and Louis and it drives Niall _mad_. Nick’s happiness is infectious, and sure, they haven’t had a serious conversation about their careers or what could happen if Niall were to propose to Nick, but something about Nick’s personality makes Niall not care all that much.

It feels like with Nick, everything is always going to be okay. He’s got a comforting presence, a sort of relaxation around him that Niall’s never felt with anyone else.

He slides his hand down Nick’s arm, threading their fingers together like he’s done it a million times, and says, “I don’t know about you, but I could use some lunch.”

“God yes,” Nick grins. “Where to?”

Niall points down the road at a bunch of little food carts underneath a tin roof. “There,” he says. “It’s a food court. Apparently they’ve got some really good stuff. I’ve been told we have to try the banana dessert thing they’ve got.”

“Alright. I’ll trust you,” Nick laughs.

They walk hand in hand down the sidewalk, and Niall wonders briefly what they must look like to the villagers, these traditional-looking people. He wonders what they think of two men being out like this, on a date, holding hands, openly displaying their affection for each other. 

Producers wouldn’t send them somewhere unsafe, so Niall reminds himself that they’re fine and everyone’s accepting of them, and he takes that moment to distract himself with a glance up at Nick. 

Nick notices and turns his head, quirking an eyebrow. “What?” Nick asks.

“Nothing,” Niall grins.

They slowly step underneath the hot tin roof, looking around at the wide arrays of food that they can try. Niall follows close to Nick, overwhelmed by how amazing all the spices and foods smell, mixing together, overwhelming him with decisions. “I don’t even know where to start,” Nick laughs.

“You’re telling me,” Niall replies.

He looks around at a few stalls before deciding upon one he’d like to try. There’s a translator on hand to tell them what’s on the menu, and Niall’s appetite leaves him once he realizes that the deep fried meat he’d been eyeing up was actually _entrails_ rather than a plain old slice of pork or beef. He looks a bit green as they step over to another stall.

There’s a kind, elderly woman selling spring rolls with a delicious looking sauce on top of them, and Nick asks the translator what’s in them. Nothing like the last stall, they’re told, and that convinces Nick to order a serving to share with Niall. 

The food is messy, but it’s delicious, and Niall is really glad he let Nick choose what they got for lunch, because it’s _delicious_. They’ve got sticky fingers, but Niall’s fed the last bit of spring roll from Nick’s fingers and everything turns serious a moment when Niall’s tongue flicks out at Nick’s fingers as he takes the bite. With their sunglasses atop their head, eyes shaded by the tin roof, Niall can see the way Nick’s eyes darken just a bit.

Niall smirks, which makes Nick’s eyebrows raise just a bit. “You’re being a proper flirt today, aren’t you?” Nick asks incredulously.

“Maybe,” Niall laughs, blushing. He’s not used to being called out when he’s acting a certain way - especially when he’s acting flirty.

After finishing off the plate of spring rolls, Niall orders them the banana jelly that he was told to get. He sets it down between them and Nick eyes it warily. “What’s that on top?” he asks, poking at it with a fork.

“Crushed ice, is what the translator said,” Niall says as he reaches out with his own fork.

The jelly looks innocent enough, but after finding out they almost ate entrails, Niall’s a little wary of eating something else strange and foreign. “On three?” Nick suggests.

Niall nods, and he sticks his fork into the dessert. Nick does, too, and they hold their forks by their mouths as Nick counts down, “One… two… three.”

They eat the jelly at the same time, and in total synchronicity they pull the most disgusted faces either has ever shown on national television. “Oh god,” Nick says, choking on it.

Niall reaches over and not so subtly spits his own forkful out into a napkin. “God it’s like medicine or something,” Niall says, gagging a little.

“This is a delicacy?” Nick asks incredulously.

Niall’s laughing as he fumbles with a bottle of Coke, and Nick’s already downed half of his by the time the translator says, “It’s an acquired taste.”

“No kidding. My god. Ew,” Niall says, pulling a face again.

“I’m getting us more spring rolls,” Nick says as he stands, nearly knocking his chair over in his haste. “Got to get rid of this taste.”

Niall’s laughing, coughing a little and sputtering as the aftertaste comes back to him, and he’s incredibly grateful when Nick brings over another smaller plate of spring rolls. They gobble down one more each, grateful that it gets rid of the last bits of banana jelly flavour in their mouths, and then give the rest to the crew and translator to eat.

“So what else are we doing today?” Nick asks as they stand from the tables and leave the food court where they’d been eating.

“You’ve never seen a date like this before,” Niall teases. “We’re going to be on a _boat_.”

Matching Niall’s sarcasm in kind, Nick says, “Oh my god, what a brilliant idea. I’ve never been on a date on a boat before.”

“I thought you’d like it,” Niall says through bouts of laughter.

The mood is so light and so joyous that Niall feels like all of his concerns, all of his woes over the past few days are all wiped away. He can’t focus on the stress of having to choose someone to break up with, of having to break another heart, not when Nick’s smiling at him like he’s Nick’s whole world. Niall feels like he’s soaring, and as he holds Nick’s hand and leads him down to the waterfront.

There’s a small boat - something barely big enough for the two of them, the rowers, and the camera crew - but it’s private and romantic and Nick can’t fight the smile spreading across his face. “This boat is more about the views than the luxury,” Niall explains as they slowly climb in.

Nick sits down and reaches out for Niall on instinct, wrapping an arm around his waist as they sit together, waiting for the cameramen to board. 

It’s late in the afternoon by the time the boat actually leaves the dock, which is perfect timing because the sights they’re seeing were advertised as best viewed in the sunset. The boat leaves the village behind and starts traveling the twists and turns of the Andaman Sea along Phuket’s shore, the lower banks turning into cliffs that loom higher and higher.

The cliffs are bright yellow and orange, the limestone glistening especially bright in the warm shades of the sunset, and it’s even more beautiful than he’d been told it would be. Nick pulls Niall a little closer to him as he stares, and his mouth drops open in awe. There’s moss growing on the stones and the sun is setting over the blue sea, and Nick’s voice is soft and surprised as he says, “This is amazing.”

“Beautiful, right?” Niall says. “I can’t believe this is even real.”

He turns to look over at Nick, who shifts his gaze to Niall when he realizes he’s being watched. “I love you,” Nick says so easily, before leaning in for a kiss.

Niall feels tingly all the way down to his toes as he smiles, the words settling warm in his chest. It feels good, being loved by Nick. It’s unlike anything he’s ever felt.

Being with Nick is so different than being with Liam or Louis. With Louis, Niall feels settled. Domestic. Like he’s at home. With Liam, Niall feels so protected and so safe. But with Nick, Niall feels constantly energized, like he’s on top of the world. They all provide him with something so different, and right now Niall’s completely caught up in the exhilaration he feels with Nick.

Niall can’t say anything in response to Nick, so he leans against him, head on Nick’s shoulder. Nick doesn’t seem to mind. “This is breathtaking,” Nick whispers. He turns his head and kisses Niall’s forehead.

“It is,” Niall agrees. “This whole place is amazing.”

“I have to admit, I never would have put Thailand on my list of places to visit but I’m very glad I’m here,” Nick says.

Niall nods. “Yeah, same here. Never thought it would be this gorgeous.”

The cliffs start to get smaller again and Nick deflates a little, their beautiful view diminishing behind them as the sun sets beyond the horizon. It gets a little colder the further the sun disappears down below the horizon, and Niall really curls in against Nick’s side. “We’re almost to the hotel,” the cameraman says to them.

Niall stays warm where he’s tucked against Nick’s side, and he puts his hand on Nick’s thigh. “I have a card somewhere,” Niall sighs. “Want to come to the fantasy suite with me tonight?”

Nick laughs, loud and warm, and says, “I thought there was supposed to be more romance.”

“Yeah but I’m warm and don’t feel like digging around for it,” Niall says with a coy smile. “Is that a no?”

“God, of course it’s not a no,” Nick says with amused laughter. “I would definitely love to stay with you tonight. Absolutely, love.”

Niall sits up and looks Nick in the eyes. “Good,” he smiles. He leans in for a kiss and Nick curls both of his arms around Niall, holding him protectively close.

The boat finally approaches a dock and they climb out, limbs lazy. They wake up as they walk up the dock and towards a car that leads them to the front doors of the massive resort hotel they’re staying at. By the time they’re given keys to the suite they’re staying in, they’re both buzzing with excited, nervous energy. 

They walk into the suite and the door closes behind them, camera crew left out in the hallway so they can have privacy in the fantasy suite. Niall turns to face Nick and reaches out to wrap his arms around his waist. Nick’s hands slide over Niall’s shoulders, across his back, and he smiles at Niall, ready for so much.

Nick leans in for a kiss and Niall’s eyes fall shut slowly, his fingers clutching at the back of Nick’s shirt. The kiss steals Niall’s breath away and he leans in for more as Nick leans away. “I’ve waited for this night for so long,” Nick whispers into Niall’s mouth.

Niall absolutely melts into Nick’s touch, chuckling against his mouth as Nick leads him to the bed. The microphone hits him in his back and he reaches behind him to switch it off and set it aside, Nick following suit.

“Alone at last,” Nick smiles, propping up on his elbow, facing Niall on his side as they lay together on the bed.

Niall looks up at Nick, grinning from ear to ear. “Feels like a long time coming,” Niall whispers. 

Niall’s looking up at Nick with wide eyes, lips kissed dark pink, and the breath is gone from his chest. “No pressure tonight, love,” Nick says softly, his free hand reaching out to push at a strand of hair that fell across his forehead.

“I want this,” Niall breathes, fumbling his hands until he’s got a good grip in Nick’s shirt, to pull him closer. “Please.”

“Of course, love,” Nick agrees, leaning in for a kiss. “Absolutely.”

Niall knows there’s stuff for this somewhere, that the fantasy suite is always well-stocked with protection, according to the writers, and he breathes heavy against Nick’s lips as he pulls him in for another kiss. Nick smiles into it, letting his free hand slide down Niall’s chest, palm resting over his heart to feel the way his heart is racing. “Excited?” Nick asks with a fond smile on his face.

He leans away to look into Niall’s eyes, and Niall licks his lips, looking thoroughly debauched already. “Yeah,” Niall breathes.

“Ever done this before?” Nick asks, his fingers tracing curves and twists down Niall’s chest, settling at his hips.

“Top, yeah,” Niall whispers.

Nick quirks an eyebrow and asks, “But tonight?”

“I’ve never done what I want to do tonight,” Niall says.

Nick understands right away what it is that Niall wants, and he smiles, leaning in for another kiss. “I’ll take care of you, love,” Nick promises.

Niall grins and slides his fingers over Nick’s side, under his shirt. “I trust you,” he says.

And just as he promised, Nick is gentle, taking absolute, delicate care of Niall. His fingers are deft and gentle as he pushes Niall’s shirt up his body, bunching it at his chest until Niall huffs and pulls it off entirely. Nick’s mouth finds Niall’s neck, trailing soft kisses down the tender skin there, over his pec, tongue teasing at his nipple before he kisses lower and lower, over Niall’s heaving belly. 

Niall literally whimpers when Nick opens the fly on his jeans, and he watches as Nick strokes him to hardness, his breath coming out in little puffs that drive Niall absolutely mad. “Oh god,” Niall says, caught between taking heaving breaths and emitting soft bouts of laughter. “You’re -- amazing,” he chokes out as Nick takes him into his mouth.

Nick likes this, surprising Niall with the sensations, his skills. He’s been honest with Niall about his past, that he enjoys sex and has a history with quite a few partners. Niall doesn’t seem put off by it at all; in fact, he is absolutely okay with Nick using his mouth and his fingers and showing off his expertise, if the sounds coming from Niall’s deep red lips are anything to judge from.

“I’m ready I’m ready I’m ready,” Niall mumbles, fast and quick, grabbing out for Nick. 

Nick chuckles, warm and confident, and wipes his fingers off on his shirt before tossing it aside and starting to work the button on his jeans. “You’re rather impatient like this, love,” Nick says as he kicks off his jeans.

Niall groans, realizing now that he’s been stripped down to nothing and nearly brought to orgasm on the bed before Nick ever undressed or had hands on him. Niall sits up, legs still wantonly parted, and he reaches out for Nick once he’s climbing back on the bed, naked. Niall doesn’t speak, just touches, stroking Nick with a gentle, loose grip. “Tease,” Nick shudders.

When he looks up at Nick, Niall’s smirking, and Nick decides in that moment that he’s absolutely got to kiss that bloody smirk off his face. The room is hot - hotter than Niall can handle - and all he knows for sure is that he needs Nick in him, to be close and intimate with Nick in a way he’s never been with anyone else. Nick seems to realize, too, because he kneels between Niall’s legs and hands Niall a condom and it’s like the world stops for them, so they can share this moment with each other and remember it forever.

Niall fumbles his way through rolling the condom onto Nick, and he adds a bit more lube, and then he lays back on the blankets, flushed and sweaty and thoroughly wrecked already. He’s got his legs spread wide and he wants this, wants Nick, and reaches out for him in an act of desperation.

It steals Niall’s breath right from his chest, when Niall feels Nick filling him up, and he’s trembling and heaving breath after breath as he adjusts to the stretch, to this feeling of being so connected and near to Nick. “C-Christ,” Niall mutters as he grips Nick’s biceps, slides one hand up to pull Nick into a kiss.

Nick’s arms are shaking a bit as he holds himself up over Niall and pulls out, thrusting back in slowly, deeply, Niall’s legs wrapping around his waist. They both groan, mouths still met in a sloppy, lazy kiss, and Niall does his best to roll his hips, ready for more. Nick finds a rhythm that works for them, his hips canting down, thrusting himself deep into Niall with each wave of movement. It’s unlike anything Niall’s ever felt before, and he cards a hand through Nick’s hair as his mouth drops open, a moan slipping out and falling into the hot, sticky air between them. 

It’s over far too soon, Niall’s body betraying him, reaching orgasm before he’s even properly touched himself, or Nick for that matter. He’s spurting between them embarrassingly soon, and Nick only has to thrust a few more times before he reaches the same amazing, blissful feeling. “Oh god, Niall,” Nick mumbles against Niall’s throat, kissing there, and on his collarbone, and just behind Niall’s earlobe as he nearly collapses atop Niall with exhaustion. “I love you,” he whispers, words falling warmly into Niall’s skin. “I love you so bloody much.”

Niall cards a hand through Nick’s hair and doesn’t think twice, doesn’t hesitate when he whispers, “I love you, too.”

He doesn’t realize what he’s said until Nick’s muscles go tense under Niall’s touch. Nick leans away for a moment, looking down at Niall in disbelief, in slight confusion. “Niall…” he says. Nick’s watched enough _Bachelor_ on the telly to know that even if they’re not on camera, Niall’s breaking the rules. He’s not meant to say how he’s feeling until the final rose - the proposal.

Nick slowly, gently pulls out of Niall and ties off the condom. He looks a tad bit confused, and Niall’s hit with hard, cold realization as Nick’s body leaves the bed. Nick’s in search of a flannel in the bathroom and Niall can’t move. He’s lying on the bed, a total mess, covered in come and sweat. “Glad I know how you feel, at least,” Nick says as he climbs back onto the bed. He can’t meet Niall’s eyes yet, but he’s cleaning him up with a tenderness that tells Niall it’ll be okay, in the end. They’ve just got to talk it through.

“Nick -,” Niall starts, trying to explain.

“I’m not going to ask how many others you’ve said that to,” Nick cuts him off. “I don’t want to know what you’ve done with them or what you’ve said to them.” He finally, _finally_ looks up at Niall, but the light that’s usually in his eyes isn’t there. He looks troubled, upset. “I’m not going to tell, either,” he continues as he wipes up the mess on his belly. He then hands off the cloth to Niall, to let him clean off himself. “I’ve watched this show enough to know how this works. If you say it to me later, assuming I make it that far, I’ll act surprised and happy and all that.” He sighs. “I promise I won’t get you in trouble for saying that.”

“Nick, I’m not worried about that,” Niall says, reaching out for Nick as he climbs back under the covers, the mess they made earlier cleaned up and left on the flannel Nick’s just tossed to the floor.

Niall rolls closer to Nick and tries his best to make eye contact. When he does, he feels the ache in his chest that he remembers feeling when he’s trying to decide who will be his husband, in the end. 

He feels sick with guilt, seeing how Nick _knows_ what Niall’s done is wrong, seeing the way Nick’s figuring him out, wondering if Niall’s said _I love you_ to anyone else, as he has. He knows he’s just made this ten times harder for himself, making the hurt that someone inevitably feels even worse than it would have been otherwise. “We should rest. Have a chat in the morning maybe?” Nick says, feigning a yawn for effect.

“Sure,” Niall says, nodding as he curls towards Nick.

“Roll over,” Nick says, prompting Niall to shift around on the bed, frowning, wondering why he can’t just curl up in Nick’s arms.

He does as he’s asked, though, and curls up in a ball facing away from Nick, heart tightening in his chest because he’s in a rut now and doesn’t know how on earth to make anything better. Niall relaxes, though, when he feels Nick’s arm threading around his waist, his strong, sure frame curled against Niall’s back, the big spoon to Niall’s little spoon.

When they wake, everything feels easier.

Nick is smiling again, and he’s being flirty with Niall as he feeds him breakfast and makes his tea just the way he likes it. It’s almost as though he’s acting like it never happened.

They put the microphones back on as they’re having breakfast, and camera crews come in to film the rest of their flirting, to get a shot of their clothes from the day before all crumpled on the floor. “Thanks for last night,” Niall says as he walks Nick to the door of the hotel room, so Nick can go back to the separate hotel that Nick, Liam, and Louis have stayed at when they’re not on their one on one dates with Niall. 

“Of course,” Nick says with a coy smile upon his lips. He leans in for a kiss and says, “See you soon, love.”

Niall steals one last kiss, trying not to feel so nervous about the night before, and what might be in store for the future, and he whispers, “Bye, Nick.”

Niall knows his decision won’t be easy, and he says so at least six times during his interview, and then he’s sitting down with the writers to tell them why he’d like to keep each of the three remaining men around. The only problem is, he’s got to say goodbye to one of them.

And he’s got no idea who.

They all gather on a private beach for the rose ceremony this time. It’s sunny and bright, and Niall’s only been apart from Nick for two hours. The cameras set up while he sits in a car, waiting to get out and approach the three men standing on the beach, waiting for Niall, for his decision. 

One of them is waiting to have his heart broken. Two are going to make it through to the final week, to meet Niall’s parents, to either be dumped, or be proposed to. 

Niall feels sick.

They’re finally given the cue and that’s when Niall steps out of the car, dressed to the nines in a suit, even though it’s far too warm outside in Thailand for a suit to be practical. He walks slowly down the beach, to where Louis, Liam, and Nick are standing, all in a row, waiting for one of the two roses lying on the pedestal. Niall takes his mark next to the pedestal, looking rather pale and nervous, and looks at the three men standing before him.

“Each week this gets harder and harder,” Niall says. The pain is evident in his expression, in his voice. “I care about all three of you very deeply. It’s why you’re here. But… we all know what happens this afternoon. I’m only giving out two roses today. Those two roses signify yet another big step in our relationship: you’ll be coming back to Mullingar with me, to meet my family. And next week, I will be engaged to one of you.”

He takes a deep breath and looks from one, to the next, to the next. “This isn’t any easier for me than it is for you. I think about hurting you guys, and it’s… really hard,” he says. “This isn’t about _not_ having feelings for one of you, anymore. It’s about where the relationships are progressing the most. Where we’re headed.” He pauses. “Let’s just get started, yeah?”

Niall reaches out for one of the roses, staring down at it, almost _glaring_ at it, before he looks up at the three men standing before him.

“Louis.”

Louis looks stunned, and for a moment nobody moves. Nick doesn’t let on that he’s afraid, that maybe he’s worried that he’s not going to make it. Liam visibly deflates, his shoulders slumping and his steeled expression dropping into a frown. It takes a few moments, but Louis composes himself and steps forward, taking the rose from Niall as he asks, “Will you accept this rose?”

Louis’s voice is thin, breathless, as he says, “Yes. God yes.”

Niall reaches out to hug Louis, an arm strong and warm around Louis’s waist. Louis’s hands are shaking and he’s having trouble believing that this is actually happening, that he’s made it until the final week.

After a few moments, he steps away from Niall, to stand back in his place next to Liam. He’s the most relaxed person left on camera, the other three still looking tense and worried. Niall picks up the rose and looks between Nick and Liam.

He cares about them both, very deeply. He loves how safe he feels with Liam, how honest and open they usually are with each other. Liam opened up to him and said he needed more time to get used to this, and Niall respects that Liam can’t move as quickly in a relationship as others can.

But Nick - he gives Niall a love of life that’s hard to find anywhere else. He drew the words _I love you_ out of Niall so naturally that it scared even Niall with how things were going.

Niall cares for both of them - could say that he loves them both, really, but it comes down to this. He’s got to choose only one of them.

Louis even looks antsy now, teetering from heel to toe and back again, the drawn out suspense getting to him. Liam and Nick are clearly trying not to look as scared as they feel, but Niall can see it anyway, because he feels the same way.

He knows he’s about to break someone’s heart.

“Nick.”

Liam looks down at the ground and Nick walks forward right away, looking stunned. “Will you accept this rose?” Niall asks, trying his very best to sound confident.

“Yes,” Nick says, before leaning in for a hug.

Everyone looks a bit surprised at Nick being chosen over Liam, including Louis. After Nick goes back to stand next to Louis, Niall turns to Liam. “I’m sorry,” he says, his voice sounding strained, choked.

“It’s alright,” Liam says softly as he approaches Niall.

Niall wraps him up into a hug and says, “You’re such an amazing man. You’re going to make someone very happy one day.”

Liam’s quiet, can’t find the words as he hugs Niall, buries his face in his neck, takes in the scent of him one last time. Niall leads Liam up the beach, back to where there’s a car waiting to take Liam back to the airport, back to England. 

“Can you just tell me one thing?” Liam asks softly as they reach the door of the nondescript black sedan. Niall nods and turns his full attention to Liam as he asks, “Is it because we didn’t have sex?”

Niall’s heart breaks for Liam in that moment, and he shakes his head no quickly. “No, not at all,” Niall insists. “God, Liam, I’d never dump a person because they weren’t ready for something like that. It’s just that with the others… it was progressing further, and faster, and… I’m sorry.”

Liam’s warm brown eyes bore into Niall’s blue and he says, “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” Niall nods. “Safe travels, alright?”

With a nod, Liam steps away, giving himself space as he climbs into the car and doesn’t look back. Niall swallows hard as he closes the door behind Liam and waves him off. He feels like he’s short of breath, like he’s been hit in the chest with something heavy that won’t go away. He can’t imagine how awful Liam must feel as he rides away brokenhearted.

In the car, Liam’s doing his best not to get choked up, his eyes glistening with tears as he says, “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. Time’s not on your side in this, that’s for sure.” He presses his fingers to the corners of his eyes and lets out a shuddering breath. “I just want him to be happy, in the end. I’m gutted he’s not chosen me to share that with, but,” Liam pauses and sniffles, looking out the window to hide how heartbroken he’s feeling, “Now that I’m out of the running, nothing against Nick but I hope it’s Louis who wins. Louis has quickly become one of my best mates and he deserves this. He deserves to be happy.”

But nobody knows who is going to be engaged in the end - not even Niall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**Next week on The Bachelor...** _
> 
> “I still have trouble wrapping my head around it,” Bobby says, shaking his head. “You have such strong feelings for both of them… two men. At once.” 
> 
> He looks up at Niall and doesn’t know what else to say, doesn’t know how to even begin to comprehend the situation Niall’s in.
> 
> “Just wait until you meet them, da,” Niall says finally. “See what they're like."
> 
> **
> 
> Niall leans against Nick just a little, sighing as he says, “My dad really wants a whole mess of grandkids. Right now he’s just got one.”
> 
> “It’ll take time,” Nick says, hoping that’s not the worst thing in the world to say. “I mean, we’ve got to move and get to know each other better and plan a wedding, and…” he trails off and glances over at Niall. “Unless that’s not what you want?”
> 
> Niall shrugs, looking noncommittal. “I mean, there wouldn’t be anything wrong with filing for adoption while we’re planning the wedding or something,” he says, and when he looks into Nick’s eyes, he asks, “Right?”
> 
> **
> 
> “So you’re not working at the moment? You can move anywhere?” Bobby asks.
> 
> Louis shrugs again. “I could,” he hedges. “Niall and I still talked about living in England, though. I’ve got a massive family, you see. And I help them out a lot. My youngest siblings are four right now. Twins. There’s seven of us, all together.”
> 
> “Would you be open to moving to Ireland?”
> 
> After a big gulp, Louis nods. “It’d be hard, but I’d do it for Niall. If it was what was best. I’d really have to think about it, though, changing Freddie’s whole environment like that,” he says.
> 
> **
> 
> “I get it,” Bobby says finally, and Niall watches him closely. “I see why you’ve kept these two around for so long. You look good with both of them. You’ve got chemistry with both of them. I honestly dunno what to tell you to do.”
> 
> Greg sighs. “Dad, it’s obvious he should choose Nick. Taking on a kid is too much for him right now.”
> 
> “I’m right here,” Niall reminds his brother. He sighs, and feels guilty for wondering if maybe Greg just doesn’t want Theo to have to share the role of grandchild. He’s wanted Theo to be in the spotlight since he was just a speck on a sonogram. “I don’t know yet, who I’m going to propose to. This is too hard,” Niall says. “I feel so strongly for both of them.”
> 
> “So marry them both,” Greg jokes.
> 
> Niall narrows his eyes.
> 
> **
> 
> The next day, Niall goes into Dublin where he’ll be meeting with the jeweler who will help him pick out the ring he uses to propose. He’s full of nerves, and when he sits down to look at the hand-selected rings placed in front of him, he starts chewing on his hangnail in nervousness.
> 
> “Tell me about the man you’ll be proposing to,” the jeweler prompts. He’s dressed to the nines in a suit and tie, glasses on his face and his gray hair combed back in a solid quiff. 
> 
> Niall taps his fingers on the table and sighs. Realization dawns on the jeweler and he asks, “You don’t know yet?”
> 
> With a frown, Niall looks up at the jeweler and says, “I just… I guess… no. I don’t.”
> 
> The jeweler asks a few questions like what each guy is like, where Niall sees himself in a few years, and on the show it ends up turning into a montage of Niall looking at different rings, which ends with Niall taking a box with a ring in it and leaving the table. He slips it into his pocket and the weight of it reminds him of what’s happening the next day - that he’s going to break someone’s heart.


	10. Week Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW here we go - the finale. I can't thank you guys enough for sticking with me throughout this entirely self-indulgent fic of mine. You'll see that there are TWO chapters posted today, rather than one. This chapter is the finale, and then chapter 11 is the "after the final rose" special with contestants coming back to talk about where they are now, six months later. You might find some answers you're looking for over there, but chapter 11 isn't necessary, if you aren't interested in a recap/reflection chapter.

Niall gets a couple of days with his family before he introduces Louis and Nick to them on separate days. He's grateful for it, getting to sit down with his dad over a pint and explain the entire process to him, to tell him how he's feeling. He can't tell him that he's gone and said _I love you_ to both men, at least while cameras are around, because it's unknown to the crew and writers and anyone else.

“I don’t know what to do,” Niall tells his dad one evening as they're chatting, cameras around to get the interactions on tape to put on TV. 

“I haven't met them so I dunno what to tell you,” Bobby says to his son, bringing his pint to his lips to take a big gulp. “Ask me after I've met them. I can tell you what I see, though I doubt it's anything you don't already know.”

“I care about them both _so much_ ,” he says.

“Well let me ask you this,” Bobby says. “What is it that draws you to each of them?” 

Niall's cheeks flush. “So much,” he says. “Nick is… he's not like anyone you ever expected me to be with. I'll say that. He's on the radio in England. He's older than me. And taller. And he's a total goofball. They both are, though.”

“Is it easier to ask you what concerns you about each of them?” Bobby asks.

Niall shrugs. “I suppose. I mean, Nick’s admitted to me that he used to sleep around, before this. And he seems sort of like he used to be a commitment-phobe? But Louis - see here's the thing with Louis: he's a dad. Like, he's got a kid. The mum’s not around. Which means I’d become a dad too, if we got married.”

“You think you’re ready for that?” Bobby wonders. “Being a parent? Kids are a lot of work.”

Niall sighs. He knows this is a valid question. He knows he should be able to answer it easily, too. But there’s a lot to consider when taking on a child. “I think so. I want to think I'm ready,” he confesses, sounding uneasy. “I've met his son and he’s the sweetest thing in the world. His name’s Freddie and like I've already dealt with him when he's fussy, and when he's happy, and... he's the spitting image of Louis and for some reason he adores me.”

Bobby watches Niall curiously and says, “Kids - they're expensive, you know. And clearly it'd mean moving.”

“I know,” Niall nods. “At this point, I’m moving no matter what. Off to England it is, for me. But it’s worth it. For either of these guys.”

“I still have trouble wrapping my head around it,” Bobby says, shaking his head. “You have such strong feelings for both of them… two men. At once.” 

He looks up at Niall and doesn’t know what else to say, doesn’t know how to even begin to comprehend the situation Niall’s in.

“Just wait until you meet them, da,” Niall says finally. “See what they're like. I want to know what you think of them.”

“Alright, then,” Bobby agrees. “They'll be here soon?”

Niall nods. “They're coming out from Dublin today. Nick’s coming over tomorrow and Louis the day after,” he explains.

It feels like it'll be forever before they're both in Mullingar but time flies faster than Niall expects. The next thing he knows, he and his dad are cleaning up after lunch, Niall's mum, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew in the lounge when there’s a knock at the door. “Got it!” Niall calls.

His nephew Theo toddles along behind him, three years old now and incredibly adorable with his fluffy blonde hair and big smile, and Niall picks him up before he answers the door. It's Nick, looking lovely in jeans and a blazer, a silly Justin Bieber shirt on under. “Hi,” Niall smiles.

“A baby?” Nick asks, foregoing a hello.

Niall laughs brightly as he steps back and lets Nick in. “This is my nephew Theo. The whole family’s here to meet you,” he explains.

Nick walks in and Niall closes the door behind him. Theo wiggles to be let down so he can rush off to his mum, too shy to stick around to meet Nick, and Niall takes that opportunity to give Nick a hug and a soft, secret kiss on the cheek. His whole family is watching, waiting, and Niall loops an arm around Nick’s waist as he turns to his family and says, “Everyone, this is Nick. Nick, this is everyone.”

“I'll need more than that, love,” Nick says as he smiles at Niall’s family and waves hello.

Niall points down the line of people as he says, “There's my dad Bobby, and next to him is my brother Greg and his wife Denise, with my little nephew Theo. And at the end there is my mum, Maura.”

“It's lovely to meet you all,” Nick says, not sure where to begin as he says hello. 

He gives Maura and Denise hugs, though Theo doesn't take well to his mum hugging a stranger whilst he's in her arms. He gives Greg a firm handshake, and then turns to Bobby to do the same. “You've got a lovely home,” he says to Maura.

She laughs and says, “This is his dad’s house. I don't live here.”

“Oh right,” Niall says, wincing. He turns to Nick and explains, “My parents are divorced.”

Nick’s been watching the show for years, and he doesn’t recall there ever being a bachelor with divorced parents before. The show likes to capitalize on happy, in-love parents giving their bachelor son lots of advice on marriage. Niall seems to be the exception, and Nick finds that even more intriguing, seeing how unafraid Niall is of falling in love given his parents’ history.

He apologizes profusely but is met with nothing but graciousness from Niall’s parents. Nick thinks fondly about how his father would probably get along great with Bobby, and he pictures Jayne and his mum chatting with Denise and Maura in the kitchen or by the fire. Their families would get along well, he thinks, and there’s nearly nothing to get in the way of that. 

Except Louis.

Nick tries to push that thought out of his mind and enjoy his time with Niall’s family as much as he can. While dinner is being made, Niall sits down on the floor with Theo to play. Denise and Greg are in the kitchen with Maura, making dinner, and Bobby turns to Nick, “Can we talk?”

Nick nods and amiably follows Bobby into the dining room. They sit down at the table and Nick tries his very best to look casual, even though he’s freaking out. “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Nick says kindly.

“You too,” Bobby says. “You and Niall look pretty good together.”

“I care about him a lot,” Nick says. “I love him.”

“That’s good,” Bobby nods. “Kind of important for marriage.”

Nick chuckles but can’t feel too secure about it because he knows there’s a fifty-fifty chance that he’s _not_ going to get a ring at the end of all this. “I’d be so lucky if he chose me,” Nick says.

“Would you move here?” Bobby asks. “To Ireland? He’s got a flat in Dublin right now.”

“I think the plan was for us to live in England. I’m on the radio, you see. BBC 2? He says he can move for his job and that’d work a lot better,” Nick explains. “We haven’t sorted out the fine details but that’s how it’d work, I think.”

Bobby nods, and he’s eyeing Nick closely. “You have room for him, where you live?” 

“Yeah,” Nick says quickly, hoping Bobby believes him. “Yeah, I’ve got a flat and there’s a spare room we could convert into an office if he needed.”

“That would be good. He’s got a whole spare room for that reason right now, so he can’t really lose that, you know?” Bobby says.

“Yeah, I completely understand,” Nick agrees. “I definitely don’t want his work to suffer because of the move.”

“That’s good,” Bobby nods. He’s studying Nick closely from across the table and asks, “How about kids? Is that something you want?”

Nick’s quiet for a moment. He’s considered it, in an abstract sort of way, but there’s a lot of time and effort that goes into a wedding - and he doesn’t want to rush into children. A dog is enough for him, for now. “Someday, yes,” he says finally. “But not now.”

“Then when? Aren’t you in your thirties?” Bobby asks. “You really want to be having kids when you’re getting up there in age? Risk not seeing their graduation? Their own weddings?”

Nick frowns. “Look - I know what you’re asking, and I know why,” he says. “But the fact of the matter is, Niall and I haven’t talked about that yet, about kids. We can’t just pop them out on our own, which means we’ve got to… erm - _acquire them_ \- somewhere else. For lack of a better term. We could adopt kids that are already born, or in nursery school, or maybe older even. My age isn’t the sole factor when it comes to kids. It’s money and it’s getting a bigger place to live and it’s a lot of planning.” Nick looks up at Bobby and hopes he looks confident as he says, “I want a family with Niall. I can picture it. But what I want to do most is just have more time with him. This whole process has been a lot, very fast.”

“You’re telling me,” Bobby agrees. “Two months isn’t a lot of time.”

“Exactly,” Nick says. “I want a long engagement, if he even chooses me. I want to spend time getting to know him without cameras. Without having to stick to a scheduled time to see him, and without having rules, and all of that. I want to plan our dream wedding and get into the swing of living together, and I want to help Niall get his business settled in England.” He crosses one leg over the other. “I take care of myself. I’ve got at least another four or five decades in me. Niall and I have _time_.”

Bobby is quiet, and Nick looks up at him, keeping his gaze so he hopes he understands that he’s serious. This isn’t a joke to Nick. He’s really fallen for Niall and he wants Niall’s whole family to see that, to believe that.

“I love your son,” Nick repeats, to drive the point home. “I’m so in love with him.”

That finally, _finally_ puts a smile on Bobby’s face, and he reaches out to shake Nick’s hand. “I haven’t met the other lad yet but I appreciate how much you care for him. I wish you luck,” he says.

Nick feels a big knot in his chest; just knowing that at the end of the week he’s either going to be engaged, or a single, lonely, heartbroken man. He swallows hard and Bobby pats Nick on the shoulder. “It’ll be alright,” he says. “You’re going to be fine, no matter what happens. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”

Nick nods and he wants to say something, anything, to thank Bobby for being so kind, but they’re interrupted by Denise, who’s got a big stack of dishes. “Time to get ready to eat,” she says, passing out plates and cups and everything else.

“Let me,” Bobby says as Nick starts to help.

“You sure? I don’t mind,” Nick offers.

“I mean it. Go in there with Niall. Hang out with him and Theo while we get ready.”

Nick wanders out into the lounge where Niall is sitting with Theo, pushing around a little toy truck and making the most adorable _vroom vroom!_ noises. “Hi there,” Nick says with a grin. “Can I join you?”

“Yeah, of course,” Niall says. “There’s a sports car over there that needs driving.”

“No,” Theo says at the same time.

Niall turns to Theo, “Oh, come on now, Nick’s a good guy! You’ll like him.”

“No,” says Theo again.

“It’s alright,” Nick whispers to Niall as he sits down next to him, keeping his hands off the toys as Theo watches with a warning gaze.

When Theo is reassured that Nick isn’t going to touch any of the cars, he goes back to pushing his around. Niall is distracted now, by Nick’s presence, and stops pushing the truck around so he can turn to Nick and ask, “How’d it go?”

“Alright, I think,” Nick shrugs. “Asked me a lot about where we’d live, and about kids. Seemed worried that I’d miss the imaginary graduations and weddings of the imaginary children we’ve got.”

“He means well,” Niall says as he blushes deep scarlet. “Did he really talk about our imaginary kids?”

Nick chuckles. “He didn’t say the phrase _imaginary kids_ once,” he laughs, elbowing Niall playfully. “But he _was_ thinking about our future kids, asking me if I’d be around for them, and all that.”

Niall leans against Nick just a little, sighing as he says, “He really wants a whole mess of grandkids. Right now he’s just got one.”

“It’ll take time,” Nick says, hoping that’s not the worst thing in the world to say. “I mean, we’ve got to move and get to know each other better and plan a wedding, and…” he trails off and glances over at Niall. “Unless that’s not what you want?”

Niall shrugs, looking noncommittal. “I mean, there wouldn’t be anything wrong with filing for adoption while we’re planning the wedding or something,” he says, and when he looks into Nick’s eyes, he asks, “Right?”

It hits Nick in that moment, how much they haven’t talked about yet. He doesn’t feel ready for kids yet; he loves them, but wants to take the time to set up a relationship and a marriage with Niall before they have children. But he also doesn’t want to let Niall down. “Nothing wrong with it, no,” Nick says, because _while we’re planning the wedding_ is vague, it’s negotiable. “Is that something you want? Kids right away?”

“When it’s the right time,” Niall says in return. “I think you’d be a great father.”

“And I _want_ to be a father,” Nick says as Theo runs into the kitchen, calling after his dad. They’re left in silence, surrounded by kids’ toys. A fitting scene for a conversation like this, Nick thinks. “I want to have a family with you. I see that in my future.”

Niall looks down as he sets aside the toy truck in his hand. “How did you picture this going?” he wonders. “I just want to know. Like… what do you feel like our plan is, after this?”

“Assuming you choose me?” Nick asks. Niall just frowns in reply, as he looks up at Nick. “I pictured us getting you moved to London with me, setting up the spare room for your office, and taking that time to date. Get to know each other. Plan the wedding. I’ve been that total cliche for years now, planning out how I want my wedding to be. And then after that, I pictured us figuring out what we’re doing about children. If we’d adopt, or try surrogacy, or what have you.”

“Either way, it’s a really long process,” Niall warns.

“I know.”

He looks up and meets Niall’s eyes as he says, “That’s not to say I don’t want to have children. I hope you know that.” Niall nods. “It’s just that we’ve really only been together a couple of months. I want you all to myself for a little bit. And we’d have to train Pig, and we’d probably need to move into a bigger place before we have babies. Something more kid friendly probably. And…”

“I get it,” Niall says with a soft smile. “It all makes sense. I understand.” He leans over to kiss Nick and says, “I want you all to myself, too.”

Nick wraps an arm around Niall and pulls him close, where they’re sat on the floor amidst a bunch of toys. “I love you,” Nick reminds him.

With a smile on his face, Niall leans in to kiss Nick again. Neither of them realize that Niall’s family is eyeing them from the next room over. 

They’re called in to eat after that, and dinner actually goes really well, in Nick’s opinion. Niall’s brother makes sure that Nick knows how much he doesn’t want to see his brother hurting, and that he trusts his judgment, and he even gets Theo to warm up to Nick after they eat. 

Niall loves that part of the night the most, when he sits down with Nick and Theo on the floor by the coffee table, and they color pictures with Theo as he babbles on and on and on. Niall can’t understand him, and Nick most definitely can’t and whispers as much to Niall at least seven times during the evening.

Theo gives Nick new crayons as they color pictures of superheroes, and by the end of the night he’s giving Nick a big hug as he says goodbye. “Thank you all for having me,” Nick says as Niall walks him out, and he gives one last goodbye hug to the women and shakes the hands of the men. He gives Theo a high five on his way out, and Niall walks him to the car.

“Do you think they liked me?” Nick asks nervously.

Niall wraps Nick up in a big, warm hug, and he buries his face in Nick’s chest as he says, “They loved you.”

“Even the bit about not wanting kids right away?” 

Niall rubs Nick’s back and says, “Yes, even after that. They clearly loved you and you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Nick looks down into Niall’s eyes and he’s clearly nervous, but Niall knows that there’s only so much he can do to reassure Nick at this point in the evening. He knows Nick has _something_ to worry about because Niall could choose Louis. 

But for now, Niall’s going to kiss Nick goodnight, slow and tender, and hope Nick won’t worry too much in the time between that night and the final rose.

After waving goodbye to Nick as his car pulls out of the drive, Niall wanders back inside to talk to his family. He’s got knots in his stomach as he sits down in the lounge with all of them. Theo’s asleep on his mum’s lap, and Niall just wants to know what they thought. “Well?” he asks, looking around at all of them.

“He’s nice,” Greg says, sounding amiable.

“He’s not the type I would have expected you to choose but I can see why you like him,” Maura adds.

Niall picks at a hole in his jeans and asks, “Is that bad?”

“Not bad,” she says. “I was just surprised, at first glance.”

With a nod, Niall looks up and around at everyone. “I know he’s not my usual type but maybe that’s what I need, you know?” he says. “He’s so amazing. And hilarious.”

“We know,” Bobby insists. “We saw.”

“It’s obvious why he’s on the radio,” Denise adds.

Niall smiles a little, glad that his family can see why it is that Niall is so attracted to Nick. “Tomorrow we meet the other bloke? Lewis?” Greg asks.

“Louis, yeah,” Niall nods.

“He bringing his kid?” Bobby wonders.

Niall shakes his head. “I don’t think so. Not really part of the deal. Plus, that’s a long way to take him for such a short amount of time,” he says. “Freddie’s been staying at Louis’s mum’s place during all of this.”

“Well, we’re excited for tomorrow,” Maura smiles.

Smiling at his parents, Niall says, “Yeah, me too.”

He goes to bed shortly after, as does everyone, and when he wakes the next morning Niall is filled with a nervous energy that he didn’t have the day before. His dad notices over breakfast and asks if he’s alright, and Niall says he is, but they can tell that today is different. Something about Louis has Niall’s knee bouncing nervously, and his hands itching for something to do, and the only thing they can’t figure out is if it’s a bad sort of energy or a good one.

Finally, _finally_ there’s a knock at the door. Niall’s grinning from ear to ear as he goes to the door to get it, and Louis is there with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his denim jacket, and his black jeans are skin tight, and he looks refreshed. His hair’s smooth and soft as it curves over his forehead, and he smiles brightly at Niall, eyes sparkling when he sees him. “Hey,” Louis says.

“Hi,” Niall breathes, looking relieved. “Glad you found it alright.”

“Well, I had a driver, so,” Louis laughs.

“Come on in,” Niall says, leading Louis inside. “Everyone’s waiting to meet you.”

Niall reaches out and takes hold of Louis’s hand, guiding him into the lounge where Niall’s whole family is there waiting to meet him. “This is my dad, Bobby, and my mum Maura, and there’s my brother Greg with his wife Denise, and that’s their son Theo,” Niall says.

“Hi, nice to meet you all,” Louis says, shaking hands and giving hugs and trying his very best to make a good impression. 

He goes all the way down the line until he gets to Theo. That’s when he reaches out to poke Theo’s tummy and smiles at him. Theo’s watching him with apprehension, but then Louis crosses his eyes and makes a dumb smile and Theo’s giggling like mad. “Nice to meet you, Theo,” he says warmly.

“Hi,” Theo says as Louis holds out a hand. Theo gives him a high five and everyone cheers.

“Niall was just going to put Theo down for a nap. Why don’t you come have a chat with us while he does?” Maura suggests.

It’s not exactly subtle, but subtlety isn’t really part of the show. Louis is nervous, Niall can tell by his body language, but he doesn’t let on to the rest of Niall’s family. As Niall reaches out for Theo to take him down the hall to change him and get him settled down for bed, Louis is led away to the lounge with everyone else.

He sits down in a chair, and he feels a bit like he’s on trial as everyone else sits facing him. Louis tries his best to keep his calm, though, and honestly nothing could be worse than facing Briana’s family after they sat down and told them she was pregnant with Freddie. Louis feels like facing families is old hat now, and only gives him a little bit of anxiety.

“So... “ he starts.

“Well, you are definitely different than the other lad,” Greg laughs.

Louis looks uneasy at that, and Maura gratefully comes to the rescue. “That’s not a bad thing at all,” she says. “You’re more his type.”

That makes Louis laugh a little. “I love Niall so much,” Louis says confidently. “He’s an amazing man.”

“He is,” Maura agrees.

“So tell us about yourself, Louis,” Denise prompts.

Louis shrugs. He wonders how much they’ve been told by Niall, how much is going to be new for them. “Not much to tell, I suppose,” Louis says with a shrug and a sigh. “I’m Louis, I was born and raised in Doncaster. I’m still living there at the moment, with my mum and younger siblings. I’m searching for a job but not having the best of luck. I’ve got a teaching certificate and want to work in a primary school. Hopefully. I’ve erm -,” he’s sure they know this next part, but the nerves cause him to hesitate anyway. “I’ve got a son, too. He’s just about to turn two, and he’s my whole life. He’s living with me at my mum’s house, obviously, because his mum’s not in the picture, and…” he pauses. There’s not really much else to say. “Yeah. So, that’s me.”

“So you’re not working at the moment? You can move anywhere?” Bobby asks.

Louis shrugs again. “I could,” he hedges. “Niall and I still talked about living in England, though. I’ve got a massive family, you see. And I help them out a lot. My youngest siblings are four right now. Twins. There’s seven of us, all together.”

“Would you be open to moving to Ireland?”

After a big gulp, Louis nods. “It’d be hard, but I’d do it for Niall. If it was what was best. I’d really have to think about it, though, changing Freddie’s whole environment like that,” he says.

Denise is frowning, but looks sympathetic as she says, “That makes sense. Don’t want to make the change more than he’s ready to handle.”

“I’d like to find a job, though. I’m trying, honest,” Louis insists. “I wouldn’t expect Niall to pay for Freddie and me, for anything. Like - I work. Just not where I’d like.”

“Oh, love, we’re not worried about _that_ ,” Maura insists warmly.

Louis lets out a breath and tries to feel a little more relaxed.

“So Niall has met Freddie?” Bobby wonders. “How did that go?”

With a nod, Louis says, “It was amazing. Like - I thought for sure it was the end for me, when I got the call that Freddie had broken his arm. I full-on panicked and ran out of the rose ceremony before I could ever hear what Niall had decided for me. But as I was leaving he gave me a rose and when I was sitting up that night with Freddie, when he was all stroppy from the medication and the pain and his cast, I told him the story of it. How I got the rose _and_ got to go see my boy, and after that Freddie has been completely fascinated with Niall. Wouldn’t let anyone sign his cast until Niall did, and he stayed by his side most of the day.”

“And your siblings? They get along with Niall, too?” Greg asks.

“Yeah,” Louis nods. “Yeah, they love him. My littlest sibling, my only brother Ernest, he was a little shy, but he even started warming to Niall by the end.” He takes a breath. “It means a lot to me that Niall seems okay with me having a son. And that they get on so well.”

“He’s great with kids,” Maura says. “He’s wanted them for ages.”

Greg chuckles and says, “He’ll see what a nightmare they can be. Then we’ll see how much he wants them.”

Louis frowns and sits up a little straighter, looking a bit upset as he says defensively, “I’ve already talked to Niall about that. I’ve told him what a pain in the arse Freddie can be when he’s in one of his moods, and warned him that toddlers don’t listen sometimes, and they make messes, and that sometimes Freddie’s going to have to come first even when he’s pissing us both off. And he knows that. He _gets that_.”

“But are you sure? It’s one thing for it to happen in theory, but another to have it _actually_ happen,” Greg counters.

Louis’s frown deepens and he says, “Freddie threw a bit of a fit when Niall was visiting. After his nap, when he needed a nappy change. But Niall didn’t mind one bit.”

“Day in and day out could change things,” Greg warns.

It feels useless to argue with Greg, like all the man is trying to do is get a rise out of Louis, and everyone else in the room looks slightly uncomfortable. Louis’s voice is tight and snippy as he says, “Good thing the decision is up to Niall, and not you, then.”

It’s at that moment, when Louis snaps at Greg, that Niall walks back into the room. He freezes in the doorway for a moment and Louis doesn’t realize at first, because Niall’s behind him, but the look on everyone else’s faces gives it away. Louis slumps in his chair, defeated, and doesn’t say a word.

“What’s going on?” Niall asks as he wanders in.

He sits on the arm of the chair Louis is currently slouched in, and Louis is quiet. He won’t throw Greg under the bus in front of Niall, even though he’d really like to. “We’re just talking about kids,” Greg says casually.

“Like Freddie kids, or future babies kids?” Niall asks.

“Freddie,” Louis says shortly. “I was just telling them that we’ve talked about how kids aren’t lovely precious little balls of sunshine all the time.”

Niall laughs. “You’re telling me. Theo was a right nightmare to put to bed, just now. Fought it like you wouldn’t believe. Finally just had to leave him in his cot to talk himself to sleep,” he says.

Louis looks pointedly at Greg, but says nothing more on the subject. Niall’s clearly got a full understanding of what he’d be taking on if he married Louis, and there’s nothing else Louis feels he can say to drive that point home to Niall’s family.

Instead, he does his very best to push away his sour mood and get back on track. He wants to impress these people, not piss them off. Louis ends up lending a hand in the kitchen with Maura and Denise, which means Niall gets to sit down with his dad and brother and figure out what happened earlier, and what they think of Louis.

“So…?” he asks as they’re sat alone in the lounge together.

“Taking on a kid is a lot, especially so fast,” Bobby warns.

Niall looks a bit offended as he says, “You think I can’t handle it. Dad, I’m old enough to decide this for myself. Freddie is a great kid and he deserves two parents.”

“But he’s going to be a lot of time and energy. You could spend that same time and energy with Nick, getting to know him and actually building a good foundation for a marriage,” Greg argues. “Have you ever considered that?”

“Alright, so Greg’s got his mind made up, but what about you, dad?” Niall asks, turning to his father. “Who do you like better?”

Bobby is quiet, and the entire mood of the room dissipates to nothing but the anxiety radiating from Niall, his knee bouncing as he chews on a hangnail, waiting for his father to say something - anything - that will give him some direction.

Even after the argument earlier, Niall’s got no idea which man he’s going to propose to. He genuinely loves them both, loves their families, and for the most part, his family loves them in return. Each man is going to have a few flaws, because nobody is perfect, and his family hasn’t tried to intervene and break up a relationship which means they see it, too. They see how Niall could picture a future with both of these men. 

“I get it,” Bobby says finally, and Niall watches him closely. “I see why you’ve kept these two around for so long. You look good with both of them. You’ve got chemistry with both of them. I honestly dunno what to tell you to do.”

Greg sighs. “Dad, it’s obvious he should choose Nick. Taking on a kid is too much for him right now.”

“I’m right here,” Niall reminds his brother. He sighs, and feels guilty for wondering if maybe Greg just doesn’t want Theo to have to share the role of grandchild. He’s wanted Theo to be in the spotlight since he was just a speck on a sonogram. “I don’t know who I’m going to propose to yet. This is too hard,” Niall says. “I feel so strongly for both of them.”

“So marry them both,” Greg jokes.

Niall narrows his eyes.

Thankfully, Bobby steps in again and says, “Picture your life a year from now. Five years from now. Ten years from now. Who comes to your mind first, when you picture that? And how happy are you when you picture it?” He sits back in his chair and says, “That’s what you’ve got to think about. I didn’t think about it in the big picture. You’ve got to if you want this to work.”

Niall frowns, but he sees what his dad means. He nods, and he sits back as he thinks about it, right there on the spot. With a heavy sigh, Niall faces the rest of the evening, the uncertainty still deep in his bones. He’ll be thinking about it right up until he proposes, he’s sure, but Niall at least manages to push away all worry so he can put on a good face for dinner.

Throughout most of it, he keeps a hand on Louis’s thigh under the table, both for comfort, and to provide comfort as well. Louis hasn’t looked relaxed since the conversation in with everyone in the lounge, and Niall desperately wishes he could change that. 

Dinner conversation blessedly avoids the topic of children altogether, opting instead for more talk of the future. Louis wants to move right away, and to have a small wedding, nothing fancy. He’s most concerned about making sure his closest family members can make it, and a few close friends, but he doesn’t have a massive timeline for it. “I don’t want to wait forever, but I don’t want to rush it,” he explains finally. He looks over at Niall and says, “I honestly don’t care all that much about _how_ it happens. If I’m lucky enough to be the one marrying Niall, nothing could really make me happier, so.”

Niall sees how terrified Louis is, even though Louis is wearing a warm smile and saying such sweet words. He leans in for a kiss, wishing like mad that he could just blurt out _I love you_ again, but he has to hold it back. Niall doesn’t feel self-conscious, kissing Louis in front of his family, because they ought to see how much he loves Louis, especially since he can’t say it out loud, even to them.

When he breaks away, Louis looks comforted, if only for a second. He covers Niall’s hand with his own, where it still rests on his thigh, and smiles softly at him. “Love you,” Louis whispers.

Niall smiles and turns his hand over underneath Louis’s, so he can thread their fingers together. He’s got no idea how he’s supposed to choose one over the other, how he’s meant to break the heart of a man who cares so deeply for him, and for whom Niall cares so deeply in return. He enjoys the moment though, and takes that opportunity to bring Louis to the kitchen with him to serve up dessert.

It’s just a cake, but it’s fresh and colourful and Niall can cut even slices as Louis piles ice cream messily at the side of each. As they’re serving things up, Niall gets a chunk of frosting on his finger. He glances over at Louis, who’s wrestling with the very frozen ice cream, and decides to distract him by swiping the frosting down the bridge of Louis’s nose.

Louis freezes, eyes crossing as he tries to look at the mess on his nose, and then he looks to Niall incredulously. “I can’t have a food fight in your parents’ kitchen,” he hisses.

Niall doesn’t want to correct him and say it’s just his dad’s kitchen, or anything like that. Instead, he just laughs and says, “Then I guess I win.”

“Not a chance,” Louis says, reaching over to steal a chunk of frosting off one of the slices of cake. He slides it down Niall’s nose and pokes the rest in little dots on his forehead, and he doesn’t stop until Niall holds his wrist to keep him back.

Louis’s eyes go wide and he laughs incredulously. “You didn’t,” Niall says, shocked.

“I did,” he smirks. “That a problem?”

Niall snakes an arm around Louis’s waist and pulls him tight against him, glad that they’re in a separate room from the rest of his family, so he can pull Louis into a hot, dirty kiss. Louis moans into Niall’s mouth and there’s frosting smeared all over their cheeks from their noses but neither of them cares. 

Niall kisses Louis until he can’t breathe, and he chuckles softly at the sight of the frosting smeared all over Louis’s face. “You look ridiculous,” Niall laughs as he reaches out for a napkin. 

He starts cleaning off Louis’s face, and then Louis does the same in return, snorting as he says, “Never thought I’d have to do this for you. Just Freddie. You’re like a giant toddler right now Niall, honestly.”

Niall snorts with laughter and steals another kiss, not even caring if the frosting is gone or not. They’re interrupted this time by Denise, who comes in to ask if they need help. Niall’s cheeks flush pink and she has a look on her face that says she knows exactly what happened, but she doesn’t let on.

The three of them carry all the plates of cake and ice cream to the dining room and dessert passes by faster than Niall would like. 

After they’re done, it’s time to say goodbye to Louis, and the whole thing feels like an end that Niall isn’t ready for. Saying goodbye to Louis means moving ahead to pick out a ring and propose and it’s a lot to handle. Niall can’t fight the thoughts and confusion flooding into his mind. He’s grateful that after Louis says goodbye to everyone, he gets to walk him to the car so they can have one more moment alone.

“So… this is it,” Louis says softly as he stands in the drive next to the car.

Niall’s holding both of Louis’s hands in his own, and he takes a deep breath as he meets his gaze. “Yeah, this is it,” Niall nods. 

They both feel how sombre things are, how this could be the last proper date they have, ever. Niall wishes it were easier, that there would be some clear front runner, but Nick and Louis are both lovely in their own ways.

“No matter who you choose, I know you’re going to do what’ll make you happy, and that’s what I want, alright?” Louis says softly.

He squeezes Niall’s hands and what Louis has just said hits Niall hard. That Louis cares so deeply for him, that he’d accept that sort of public, humiliating breakup, if it means Niall’s happy in the end. Niall looks up at Louis, frowning, and pulls him in for a soft kiss. “You’re amazing, Louis,” he whispers.

“You are too,” Louis replies. He doesn’t want to break away from Niall, to let go of his hands or to stop kissing him or holding him, ever, but he’s going to do what he needs to do. 

Someone from the crew urges Louis to get into the car, to go so they can move on to the next part of filming, so Louis reluctantly lets go of Niall’s hands. Niall opens the car door so Louis can get in, and as he waves goodbye, it settles on him that this is it.

He’s now got to make the biggest decision of his life: who to marry, and who to break up with.

Niall feels too stressed to really comprehend it, and when he goes back into the house, his family is of little help to him, too. A few of them have opinions, but aside from Greg, really everyone likes both men. It doesn’t help him one bit.

The next day, Niall goes into Dublin where he’ll be meeting with the jeweler who will help him pick out the ring he uses to propose. He’s full of nerves, and when he sits down to look at the hand-selected rings placed in front of him, he starts chewing on his hangnail in nervousness.

“Tell me about the man you’ll be proposing to,” the jeweler prompts. He’s dressed to the nines in a suit and tie, glasses on his face and his gray hair combed back in a solid quiff. 

Niall taps his fingers on the table and sighs. Realization dawns on the jeweler and he asks, “You don’t know yet?”

With a frown, Niall looks up at the jeweler and says, “I just… I guess… no. I don’t.”

The jeweler asks a few questions like what each guy is like, where Niall sees himself in a few years, and on the show it ends up turning into a montage of Niall looking at different rings, which ends with Niall taking a box with a ring in it and leaving the table. He slips it into his pocket and the weight of it reminds him of what’s happening the next day - that he’s going to break someone’s heart.

*

The night before the proposal, Niall sleeps terribly. He wakes up before the sun and stares out his window, trying to figure out what to do. They’ve gotten special permission to stay overnight in and film in Dublin Castle. Niall has a massive suite all to himself, and as he sits gazing out the window at the fields and buildings nearby, he thinks about what he’s going to do.

Somewhere in the castle, there are two men who both deserve the world. Who deserve to find love and settle down and have the future they’ve been planning with Niall. Only one of them will actually _get_ that future with Niall. The other will have to start back at the beginning.

Just thinking about it makes his stomach hurt, and all he can do that morning is sip tea and try not to overthink what he’s about to do.

Downstairs Niall can hear the crews setting up, putting in plenty of candles and roses for the most romantic setting possible. They’re setting up at the bottom of the grand staircase, where Niall will be waiting in just a few short hours to see both men and talk with them about the future.

Niall nearly throws up when he has to put on his suit, and he wants to call _someone_ for comfort, but there’s nothing that can be done now. He’s made his decision, and he’s got the ring in his pocket, and it’s time to do it.

Upstairs, Nick and Louis are in separate rooms, putting on suits and fixing their hair. They feel about as nervous as Niall, and they have to wait in their rooms, dressed up, until they’re told it’s time to go downstairs. Neither will see the other, so neither will know if they’re first or second, if they’re getting dumped or being proposed to.

It feels like he’s walking to his death, when Niall goes down to the bottom of the grand staircase. It’s warmly lit, golden colours coming from all the lamps and chandeliers and candles, and there are piles of roses on every available surface. There’s a pedestal by the landing of the stairs with just one lone rose, and Niall feels his mouth go dry. He takes his place next to the pedestal and looks over when the host of the show approaches and asks how he’s doing.

“I’m scared,” Niall confesses. “This was the hardest decision of my life. I don’t want to hurt anyone, and I just really hope today goes by alright.”

He’s wished luck by the host, and then Niall waits.

As he looks up the stairs, each moment passes and leaves a tighter ache in his chest, a heavier feeling on his whole body that he’s about to seriously hurt somebody, just by choosing someone else.

The castle is silent - eerily so - until finally Niall hears footsteps, slow and sure, on the stairs. Ever so slowly, the man comes into view. The man who doesn’t know if he’s first or second - or what is to come.

It feels like ages before his face comes into view, and Niall’s heart breaks when he sees the bright, warm smile on Nick’s face. Niall tries his very best to smile, and he reaches out to give Nick a hug as soon as he reaches the bottom of the staircase. “Hi,” Nick breathes.

“Hi,” Niall says softly.

Nick’s smile drops, and when he looks down into Niall’s eyes, it’s like he knows before the words even leave Niall’s mouth. “Nick - you’re an absolutely amazing man. The time I’ve spent with you… it’s meant so much to me,” Niall says delicately. “Everything I’ve felt with you, it’s been genuine. I hope you know that.”

Nick looks down at their hands, where Niall is holding Nick’s hands and rubbing them with his thumbs, a small act of comfort in one of the worst moments of Nick’s life. “I know,” Nick says, his voice a soft whisper.

Niall looks up and watches the way Nick deflates, the way his eyes get glassy and his hands grow a little limp under his touch. “You really deserve to find love. I want you to be happy, and to find someone to settle down with, the way we talked about,” Niall tells him. “Please… don’t let this ruin that for you, alright? Promise me.”

Everything on Nick’s face says that it will ruin everything for him, that he’s not going to want to get back out there after having his heart broken twice, but he swallows hard and nods anyway. “Promise,” he says.

It’s hard, watching Nick try to keep himself together when all he wants to do is break down. Niall reaches out to hug him, and he buries his face in his neck as he does. Nick folds into it totally and completely, his hands clutching Niall, grabbing fistfuls of his jacket. The microphones pick up the sound of sniffling, and Niall would be lying if he said that he wasn’t getting a little choked up, too. 

“Thanks for everything,” Nick whispers into Niall’s hair.

It breaks Niall’s heart, hearing how hurt Nick is. “I’m sorry,” Niall says, his voice choked and strained.

Nick rubs Niall’s back and takes a deep breath. “It’s alright,” he whispers. “I’ll be just fine, you’ll see.”

Niall leans away to look up at Nick, and they’re both glassy-eyed at the idea that this is it for them. They’re over. Niall’s face is red and he feels awful, but it’s nothing compared to how Nick looks. Niall’s heart breaks just at the sight of him, all glassy eyed and pink cheeked, his hair rumpled from hugging Niall so tight.

They look into each other’s eyes one last time and Niall asks, “Can I walk you out?”

“Sure,” Nick whispers. He nods and lets Niall thread their fingers together before he leads Nick to the door.

Their footsteps click on the marble flooring as Niall walks Nick to the front doors. It’s awkward, and Niall wants to say any number of things to try to make it better, but he doesn’t know where in the world to start.

Nick beats him to it, asking in the most timid voice Niall’s ever heard from him, “Was it something I did?”

Niall stops in his tracks, right by the front doors of the massive Dublin Castle, and he looks up at Nick, near tears. “No, nothing, I swear,” Niall shakes his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise.”

Nick looks at Niall sadly and tries his best to smile in the midst of everything. “I’m going to be alright, don’t you worry about me,” Nick whispers. “You’ve got a man in there who is very deserving of that ring.”

“Nick…” Niall trails off, sounding sad. He sniffles, and Nick smiles sadly at him.

“It’s alright, love. I understand,” Nick insists. He takes a step back, looking like he’d rather do anything but, and nods to Niall to go back inside.

Niall takes a deep breath and tries so hard not to let tears fall. It’s hard, though, breaking up with someone and then knowing he’s got to go inside and propose to someone. Nick is being so gracious about it, too, which just wrenches at Niall’s heart even more.

Niall stands in the doorway to the castle as Nick climbs into the limo, and he dabs at his eyes with the heels of his hands as he watches the car drive away. Nick meant a lot to Niall, and he’s always going to hold a special place in his heart, but what he did was best for everyone involved. Niall’s sure of it.

He only knows it when he’s having makeup artists come back in and dry his wet, tear-stained cheeks, and the realization hits Niall: he’s about to get engaged. He feels so excited about it, the thought of spending forever with Louis, and _this_ is how he’s meant to feel. _This_ is the feeling he’s always looked forward to when he’s thought about getting engaged. As he comes to peace with the goodbye he’s just said with Nick, Niall grows impatient to see Louis.

Niall doesn’t know how much time has passed before he’s back at the foot of the stairs, standing next to the pedestal with one rose on it. Niall knows how this is going to end, but when Louis comes downstairs, he still won’t know. He’ll have no idea that Niall’s already gone and broken up with Nick.

This time waiting for Louis feels like it takes even longer than waiting for Nick. Niall’s stomach is full of butterflies and he’s got his hand in his pocket, clutching the box with the ring inside. He takes a deep breath and looks up the grand staircase, the mahogany glistening under the light of the lamps and the candles.

It steals the breath out of Niall’s lungs when he sees Louis walking down the stairs in a simple black suit. He looks stunning, and he’s clearly nervous, from the look on his face. When he meets Niall’s eyes he makes a funny face, and it makes Niall laugh loudly.

“Hi,” Louis says as he reaches the landing.

He’s looking into Niall’s eyes, searching for something, and Niall reaches out to give Louis a long, warm hug. Louis has no idea what’s going to happen, what lies ahead for him.

Niall’s hands are shaking and he doesn’t know exactly where to start when Louis leans away and looks across at Niall. He holds Louis’s hands in his and takes a deep breath. “Louis…” Niall begins, his voice breathy. “I knew from the moment we met that you’d be someone spectacular. You literally came into my life screaming out of the top of a limo.” They both laugh, and Niall feels his stomach tighten into knots when he realizes how much Louis’s hands are shaking.

“And after that you opened up to me and trusted me with your son. Freddie is such an amazing child and I feel so lucky that you let me meet him,” Niall says. Louis keeps his eyes on Niall, but he can’t tell where this is going. He doesn’t know what’s coming. “Everything I’ve said to you, everything I’ve felt… it’s been completely genuine.” Niall squeezes Louis’s hands and right there, in front of the cameras, Niall looks into Louis’s eyes and says, “I love you, Louis.”

Louis’s eyes go wide with realization, and his hands shake just a little more in Niall’s. “I know you’re a package deal. I know that marrying you means gaining a child but… that’s twice as amazing. Coming into this I never would have expected gaining an entire family, not just a husband. And I realize it won’t always be pretty. Kids are messy and complicated and they complicate relationships but I _want_ that, Louis. I want complicated. I want you and Freddie in my life, forever.”

Niall lets go of one of Louis’s hands so he can reach into his pocket, and he fumbles around for a moment until he gets his hand on the box. Slowly, he lowers down to one knee, and laughs when he hears Louis mutter, “Oh fuck….”

Louis brings a hand to cover his mouth and he blinks, his eyes growing wet as he watches Niall open the box with shaking hands to reveal a sparkling silver band. 

“Louis, will you marry me?”

It’s clear that Louis is speechless, that the gesture means the world to him, and Niall feels like the entire world stops as he waits for Louis to answer. An eternity seems to pass by before Louis finally, _finally_ nods and says in a breathy whisper, “Yes.”

Niall beams, and he stands up, not even bothering with the ring yet. He just wants to hold Louis, to hug him and kiss him and celebrate the fact that Louis has just agreed to marry him. That he gets Louis and Freddie as his family. “What the fuck,” Louis whispers as he’s wrapped up into another hug. 

He’s in shock, completely surprised by the fact that Niall chose him. Even knowing how much Niall cares about him, Louis worried that he wouldn’t be chosen in the end. Nick came with no baggage, no extras, and Louis - he’s a mess. He’s got no job and he’s got a child and there’s a lot that comes with Louis that most would have turned up their nose at. But not Niall.

Louis’s hand is trembling as Niall slides the ring on his finger, and Louis uses his left hand to cup Niall’s cheek as they kiss. The kiss lasts for ages, and there are cameras all around them, circling them, getting all the right angles and plenty of close-ups on the ring, but all Louis wants is to be alone with Niall, to celebrate.

He could also use his son right about now, to tell him that Niall’s going to be around for a while.

Apparently an incredulous Louis wasn’t emotional enough, because unbeknownst to both Louis and Niall, Louis’s mum has been brought to Dublin with little Freddie in tow, just for this very moment. There’s a pitter-patter of footsteps and Louis breaks away from the kiss, confused.

Seconds later, Freddie comes into view wearing his own little three piece suit, his hair a mess and his arm still in a sling, but a massive grin on his face. “Daddy! Niall!” he shouts as he rushes in.

“Oh my god,” Louis says, his voice cracking. He looks over at his son and asks, “Freddie, what are you doing here? What’s -?”

Niall looks just as surprised as Louis, and it’s very obviously a moment made for television. Louis picks up his son and hugs him, kissing all over his face before he lets Freddie even think about asking after Niall. It takes all of three seconds before Louis is reaching out for Niall, pulling him closer, bringing him into a hug with little Freddie. “Freds, remember Niall?”

“Fave,” Freddie says proudly. “Niall my fave.”

Niall snorts with laughter as Louis dabs at his eyes with his fingertips. “Niall’s going to be around for a while, is that alright?” Louis says.

Freddie doesn’t even dignify that with words, he just squeals and reaches out with his good arm to grab a fistful of Niall’s suit coat. He pulls Niall closer and Niall takes that moment to wrap his arms around both of them. “We’re going to be a family,” Louis whispers, incredulous.

Most of the relationships from the show don’t work out, but Niall can’t ever picture a life without Louis and Freddie. It’ll be hard, he knows. They’re going to have to get used to being around each other without all the cameras, without rules or schedules or expectations. They might act differently when the cameras are gone, and Freddie will more than likely have some serious meltdowns that test Niall and Louis’s patience with him and each other, but Niall knows this will last. He can say that they’re going to be a family with absolute confidence.

Louis and Freddie deserve love, and a family, and Niall feels so lucky that he gets to be the one to do it. Freddie unceremoniously grabs at Niall until Niall’s the one holding him, rather than Louis, and just the sight as Louis breaking down just a little. He leans in for a kiss and Freddie smiles, curled up against Niall’s shoulder, completely content with what’s happening.

Freddie won’t let go of Niall so Louis ends up pulled away for the last interview of the season. Niall did a ton earlier, when he was waiting for Louis to come downstairs, and now they want Louis’s thoughts on it all.

“I… honestly don’t even know how to react,” Louis says, his cheeks a little blotchy, the exhaustion of the day hitting him hard. “I’m happy, obviously I’m overjoyed. Niall’s… I mean, I dunno why he’s gone and picked me but he has, and it’s an _amazing_ feeling, and…” Louis takes a deep breath. “I’m just really grateful, more than anything. That he was able to look past me having Freddie and really give me a chance. He gave us both a chance, really. That’s not something a lot of people would do and I’m _so_ unbelievably grateful.”

“Do you think he’ll be a good dad?” the interviewer asks.

“Oh definitely. Niall will be an amazing dad. He’s so good with Freddie. He handles him well when Freddie’s tired and stroppy and he’s always making him smile. I don’t think I could picture anyone better to raise my son with.”

“Do you want to have kids with Niall someday?”

Louis laughs, bright and joyous, and says, “I’d like Freddie to have some siblings one day, yeah. But I want to take this one step at a time.” He holds up his left hand, waving his ring so it shines just right in the lighting. “I think there’ll be more babies in the future. But we’ve got time.”

There are more questions on the tip of the interviewer’s tongue, but Niall swoops in with Freddie and takes hold of Niall by the waist. “Excuse me, but I believe my fiance and I have somewhere else to be,” he laughs.

Louis looks confused and Niall just says, “Follow me. Don’t ask questions.”

They disappear off the side of the set and out the front doors where there’s a limo waiting for them. Louis takes Freddie and buckles him into the carseat, and then the two of them climb in with him, grinning from ear to ear. 

“I love you,” Niall says, just because he finally can.

“I love you too,” Louis beams.

Niall leans in for a kiss, and as Freddie sits to their side, squealing and babbling in gibberish, Niall and Louis share a tender, romantic kiss as the limo pulls away to take them to Niall’s place so he can pack his things.

Now that he’s proposed, he’s ready to start his forever with Louis and Freddie as soon as he can.


	11. After the Final Rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!
> 
> This chapter is entirely not necessary to the plot; it just contains a lot of reflections and "where are they now" for the contestants, a look at Niall and Louis six months later, and a few other fun things.
> 
> Thanks again for reading!

The show opens with a host standing in the middle of a plain black stage. There's two rows of empty chairs and a man standing in front of a backdrop that has the image of rose petals projected onto it. In the center of the stage stands the host, and he looks right at the camera as he says, “Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to The Bachelor special: After the Final Rose. I'm your host, Dermot O’Leary, and let's waste no time in getting the show underway. Joining us tonight are twelve of the dates from the show, including the the two men you just watched in the finale, which taped six months ago. We’ll be talking with the dates, letting them ask Niall all their burning questions, ask them a few of our own, see where Niall and Louis are now, and conclude the show with the announcement of the next Bachelor or Bachelorette. Without further ado, let's bring them out!”

To thunderous applause from the studio audience, out walk twelve of the dates: Louis, Nick, Liam, Bressie, Zayn, and Harry sat up front and Barbara, Jade, Eoghan, Taylor, Demi, and Gemma sat in the back row on elevated chairs behind them. Dermot faces them all as the applause dies down and he smiles at them. “Hello everyone,” he says.

They all wave and smile in return. Each of the twelve men and women on stage look radiant in a suit or gown, their hair and in some cases, makeup, is done to perfection. They're all smiling, which is a good sign, and it's only a matter of time before they're brought down to talk about the season.

Dermot faces the camera again and says, “This season we had a lot of exciting and dramatic things happen, and we’re going to try to fit them all in an hour. First up, I'm going to bring Harry and Gemma down to the hot seat.” He turns to the dates and says, “Harry, Gemma, would you join me down here?”

Dermot gestures to the sofa and armchair adjacent to the rows where the dates are sitting, and he takes the armchair as Gemma and Harry make their way to the sofa. They sit down, smiling at the applause they get as they do so, and Dermot waits a few moments for the noise to die down before he gets started.

“So… you two were a hot button topic this season. Never before have we had siblings in the same dating group before. It was a pretty big controversy, with many fans thinking it was wrong. But what I want to ask is how it felt for you guys. What was it that made you both agree to come into this and date the same person?”

Gemma turns to Harry, who looks at her in return, and he laughs a little as her smile grows. “Well, it wasn’t all that weird, even on the group dates,” Gemma admits. “But I can’t really explain why. I guess we were never near each other during that, so it wasn’t strange or awkward.”

“To be honest,” Harry adds. “I think it was harder for Niall than it was for us.”

“Yeah, I’d definitely agree with that,” Gemma says.

Harry shrugs. “But as for the rest, I guess Gemma sort of talked about it in the show. She came into it for me,” Harry says. “I was really nervous and hadn’t put myself out there like this before.”

“Do you regret doing it?” Dermot says, looking at Gemma.

She looks so calm and cool under everyone’s attention as she says, “No, I don’t. I thought there might be a chance that I find love, too, but we found out,” she glances over at Harry, “that we’re really not the ones meant to be with Niall.”

“We’re really glad he found love, though,” Harry says, his voice low and warm.

The room erupts into applause, and Harry and Gemma join in because they’re all really glad that Niall is so happy, even if a few of them are wistfully wishing it had been them instead. Louis bites his lip from where he’s sat in the front row, trying not to look too smug. 

“Another question some of the fans have asked is if this has ever happened before, the two of you dating the same person. Doesn't have to have been concurrent. Maybe one of you dated the ex of the other,” Dermot says once the applause has died down.

“No, we haven’t,” Harry says. “Though it _is_ nice, having someone I can chat to about guys.”

Gemma laughs and says, “I suppose that’s been nice.”

“Just to clarify, as well, for our viewers - you’re not twins, right?” Dermot asks.

“Not twins,” Gemma says flatly. “We’re four years apart.”

She crosses one leg over the other and glances around while Harry adjusts his half-buttoned shirt. Dermot flips through his cue cards and then says, “One last thing we like to ask, to see where you’re at now - are either of you seeing anyone?”

“I’ve had a date or two but nothing serious. I’m single,” Harry says with a smirk before looking over at Gemma.

Gemma looks coy and nods as she says, “I _am_ seeing someone. His name is Mychal. We got together a few months ago and it’s going really great so far.”

“Do you feel more of a connection with him than you did with Niall?”

Gemma nods. “Absolutely.”

“Congratulations,” Dermot says, and the whole crowd erupts in applause. Gemma can’t fight a smile, and even Harry is clapping loudly for her. She’s blushing, and as the applause fades, Dermot turns to the camera to say, “When we come back from this break, we’re going to talk about some of the most controversial moments of the show: the two on ones.”

The cameras switch off and Gemma and Harry are ushered away to the chairs they’d been on earlier, in the crowd of the twelve dates who are on set to talk. While the cameras are off, people have that opportunity to talk to each other. Louis notices that everyone’s chatting with each other and leaving him out of it, and tries not to frown too much. He’s the one who ended up with Niall, the one who got a happy ending, so he shouldn’t gloat. But a _hello_ would be nice, he thinks wistfully. Maybe for one of them to ask how Freddie is, if his arm healed up nicely, or something like that.

But nothing. 

It takes what feels like no time at all for the show to come back, and Dermot is still seated in his armchair. “So. Two on ones. Never the date you want to be on, always the most stressful time for viewers and dates alike. This season we saw an unprecedented _two_ two on one dates, versus our usual _one_. Harry. We just spoke with you but tell us: what was it like being put on a two on one so early in the season?”

Harry’s back in the front row of all twelve dates who showed up, and he shrugs as he says, “I was still really worried, at that part of the season. I wanted to make a good impression. It honestly terrified me, being put on a two on one so soon.”

“What terrified you about it?”

“I didn’t know how aggressive I’d have to be, to get noticed and to stick around for another week,” Harry confesses. He frowns and says, “And I also didn’t want to see someone else get hurt. That part was really hard for me, seeing people upset after being sent home. I never wanted to be that person but I also really hate seeing people unhappy.”

There’s some applause to that, which Harry nods to gratefully, acknowledging that the crowd is being kind to him. “Do you think it was right of him to send Laura home, on your two on one?” Dermot asks.

Harry considers it for a moment and plays with his lip, pinkening it between his fingers. “I mean, at the time, I had no idea what happened or why he chose me. I was just really relieved,” Harry says. “Watching it back, I could see why. I could understand. That’s what helped me come to terms with everything that happened. When I saw the chemistry he had with the others, and how quickly their relationships were moving compared to my own, I really understood why I was sent home and why others were kept.”

“Do you think he made the right decision?” Dermot asks. “Niall, I mean. In the finale.”

Harry looks a bit incredulous, and some people in the crowd audibly react with gasps or groans at the question. He knows it’s meant to stir trouble. Harry laughs and says, “That’s not really a fair question now, is it? For a while there, I really wanted it to be me. I was disappointed when it wasn’t. But after watching the whole season, and still not knowing the personal relationship he had with them off camera, I can’t really answer that.”

Louis shifts in his seat and Dermot opens his mouth, but Harry continues: “I _can_ say though, that Niall looks happy, and that’s what matters most. And I think Louis and Freddie both are very deserving of what an amazing and loving man Niall is.”

The crowd erupts in cheers and Harry looks down the row of seats to Louis, who has turned his attention to Harry after hearing the addition to Harry’s answer. For a while there, he’d begun to wonder if the rest even noticed he was _there_.

“And speaking of Louis,” Dermot says as the applause dies down. Once it’s quiet, he continues, “Let’s have a chat about that second two on one. Louis and Zayn: how was that two on one in Montreal?”

“It was bloody awkward,” Louis says simply.

“Yeah,” Zayn says, nodding from where he’s sat next to Louis in the row of seats at the front. “I knew how our dates had gone, and I knew that he seemed to really get on with Louis. So it was hard to be optimistic when I had no clue what was going to happen.”

Dermot nods, and he says, “So Louis, there’s moment on the two on one, when you’re with Niall in the hot tub, and you really sit down and talk past your insecurities. You talk about where you’d like to live one day, and there’s a moment where Niall says flat out that he’d pack up and move to a different country to be with you. How did that moment feel? Was it like a turning point for you?”

“I mean honestly, looking back, yeah, I realize it was a bit of a turning point for us,” Louis says with a nod. “But the thing is - like, I’ve been through this before. I’ve dated and had a few people who seemed like they were ready to get serious, but they still backed out in the end, because of Freddie. So I still had my guard up.” He takes a breath and crosses a leg up over the other, ankle resting on his knee, foot wiggling with some nervousness. “But honestly, like, watching it back I can see it, but in the moment I was just sitting there thinking _there’s no way we’re being realistic, here,_ and I wouldn’t really believe it until I saw it.”

“Niall was so genuine, though. How is that fair to him?” Demi asks bravely.

Louis shakes his head. “It wasn’t. I know that. But - you go into this with a bit of a different mindset when there’s a child involved. Kids love quickly and hurt easily and I went into this knowing that he still had to be my priority.”

“He had to date for both of them,” Gemma says, jumping to Louis’s defense. She looks down the line at Demi and says, “You can’t fault him for that.”

“It seemed like he doubted Niall all the way up until the proposal,” Demi says in reply, to Gemma. Then she looks at Dermot and says, “I just don’t think that was fair to Niall. He was so kind and so willing to accept Freddie.”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” Louis snaps. He looks over his shoulder at Demi and says, “It’s so hard to explain why I was that way. You can’t really understand it until you’re in the same sort of situation.”

“Alright, alright,” Dermot says, cutting into the conversation. “Back to the two on one chat, yeah? Zayn, why don’t you come up to the hot seat, we’ll talk about the two on one and I’ve got a few other questions for you, too.”

The audience applauds as Zayn steps forward, and none of the cameras get a shot of Louis slouching in his chair, arms crossed. He knew some people were sore losers but hadn’t realized they’d be so upset about him being the winner, in particular.

Zayn is sitting on the sofa now, his hair bleached white-gray at the tips, his facial hair thicker, and his skin covered with far more ink. He's got a nose ring now, and earrings like before, and is dressed head to toe in all black like he did on the show. He's sitting leant forward, elbows on his knees and legs shoulders width apart as he focuses his attention on Dermot. He's smiling at the loud applause and cheers from the crowd - mostly the females - and waves at them before they quiet down.

“Zayn - your elimination was the most talked about of the season. Going into the two on one, how were you feeling?”

Zayn brushes his thumb over his chin, scratching an itch before he says, “Really nervous, yeah. It was hard to come to terms with? It's easier to face going home when I'm in a big group, but not so much when I know it's either me or one other person.”

“Were you thinking you'd be the one sent home?” Dermot asks.

“Not necessarily. But it did get me thinking about whether Niall and I would work out, in the long run. Especially since we found out about the two on one before the group date even happened. That left a lot of time to think,” Zayn replies.

“So you didn't talk to Louis when the others were on the group date?”

Zayn shakes his head. “We split a pizza in the house but other than that, not really. I didn't know what to say to him,” he says.

“Did you guys talk before that?” Dermot asks. “Some of the dates formed lasting friendships, so we’re curious whether you and Louis had, too.”

“We had a good time as mates, sure,” Zayn says. “We got along, we’d chill and play Fifa on dark days and stuff.”

“So that ended when you found out about the two on one?” Dermot presses.

“It was the elephant in the room that neither of us wanted to deal with,” Zayn says. He glances over at Louis, who's nodding in agreement. “I didn't know what to say to him.”

“Louis, did that bother you?” Dermot asks.

Everyone turns to face Louis and he considers it for a moment before saying, “I guess at first. I tried to talk to him after we got the date card but he was really closed off. I understood though. Liam helped me understand, I mean. Told me not to take it personally.”

Zayn nods and adds, “And something I don't think many viewers realize is that this is an exhausting process. The travel messes with your sleep patterns and you're always tired and you're always around the same few people. In the end it's much easier to just close off from everyone else.”

The entire group of twelve dates nods their agreement to that, and Dermot shuffles his cue cards before he says, “And the other question we've got is about how that date ended. Zayn - in the end, you were the one who ended it with Niall. What was that about? To our viewers it looked like you'd lost all self-esteem.”

“Haven't really got the highest self-esteem to begin with, mate,” Zayn says simply, shrugging. 

The crowd goes _aww_ and Zayn flushes as he shakes his head. “I mean it. I accept it. And really, with all that time to think I realized that I'm not the one for Niall. I'd think about what I know of both Louis and Niall and I could see what they've got - or what they could have - that I haven't got. Stuff I can't give him. And I knew it was what's best.”

“Watching it back, do you stand by your decision?” Dermot asks.

“I do, yeah,” Zayn says. “Honestly watching it back I got a little nervous for Louis, even though I knew how it would end. I just watched it and thought that like - their conversation didn't go all that great, it felt like. And I'm really glad I did what I did. More now than when I was in the moment. They're really great together and I wish them nothing but the best.”

The crowd erupts into cheers and Louis nods to Zayn, looking very touched, and mouths _thank you_ to him. Zayn nods in return, and Dermot lets everyone applaud Zayn’s kindness before he cuts in again.

“One of the most tweeted questions we got when we asked for fan suggestions for tonight was about _you_ ,” he says to Zayn. The room grows still and Zayn watches with trepidation until Dermot asks, “We all want to know what you’re doing now. How your museum work is going, if you’re seeing someone, all of that.”

Zayn smiles coyly, and he looks down at his lap. He gets a few cat calls from the audience before he says, “Well, I haven’t gotten my dream job yet. I’m still assistant curator. But I moved into London for a higher paying job, at a small art museum near London.” 

The audience cheers for him, including all the dates sitting behind them, and when it quiets, Dermot asks, “And your love life?”

“It’s good,” Zayn says, nodding. He can’t fight the giant, dopey smile on his face as he says, “I met a girl when I moved to London a couple of months ago. She’s in fashion. Her name is Gigi and it’s new, but I adore her.”

There are a few disappointed _awwws_ in the crowd, but Zayn gets cheers, too, most of all from the dates sitting up on stage with him. Zayn’s blushing furiously, and he ducks his face a little, hiding from all the applause and cheering.

“Alright, you heard it here first,” Dermot says, looking into the camera. “Zayn is officially _off_ the market. We’ll be back after this to chat with some of the ladies about their time on the show.”

The cameras switch off for another break and Zayn goes back to his seat. This time, Louis isn’t left without anyone to talk to. Zayn leans over to shake his hand, and he says, “Congrats, by the way. Never got a chance to say that.”

“Thanks,” Louis says, thumb rubbing over the ring on his finger. “You’re the first to say that.”

“They mean well,” Zayn consoles. “Harry’s the nicest guy in the world. Liam too. You just weren’t in the same dressing room as us, is all.” He nudges Louis gently and says, “Just wait until after the show. We should all get to talk then.”

“It’s alright,” Louis sighs. He gives Zayn a small smile and says, “It’s no big deal.”

Cameramen are swooping around and shushing the crowd and getting the dates settled in, and before they know it, the show is starting up again. Dermot is up front and standing in the center of the stage as the show starts up again, and the crowd applauds him and all the dates.

“Welcome back! Let’s get right to it, shall we?” Dermot says, addressing the crowd and camera alike. “Generally speaking, this season was drama free. We had very few arguments or fights, and certainly no crazies.” The crowd laughs. “When you look at this season and think _drama_ most of us think of one thing: hashtag Haylor.” There are a few shouts from the crowd and Dermot continues, “Overnight, the hashtag was trending worldwide, and many of you thought that Harry and Taylor ought to give it a go after Demi made allegations that the two were already seeing each other whilst dating Niall.”

Dermot turns to face all twelve dates and says, “Let’s start with Demi.” He makes eye contact with her and asks, “Demi, what made you feel like it was the right thing to confront Niall with this?”

She looks uncomfortable, clearly, and says, “First of all, I just want to make sure you’re all aware that I had absolutely no idea what was going on in Taylor’s personal life. Looking back I know I should’ve just talked to her, before taking it to Niall, and I’m sorry for that.”

Taylor is seated to the right of Demi, and she gives her a smile, a nod to say that she’s forgiven her completely. “But I guess, to answer your question,” she says, “I wanted to talk to him about it because I knew he could be level-headed about it. Niall sees the best in everyone and I knew he’d handle it well. I worried that I’d come off as confrontational or rude, and that was the very last thing I wanted to do.”

The crowd cheers for her, applauding her intentions, and Dermot nods a few times before he asks the rest of the group, “Did the rest of you have the same concerns as Demi? And if you did, why didn’t you take it to Niall, or confront Harry and Taylor?”

It’s quiet for a moment, as the dates glance around at each other, wondering who’s going to say something first. Eoghan sits up a little straighter and says, “Well I guess for me, I didn’t see it much. I had no idea it was happening. I also didn’t know it was ever a thing until I watched back the show.” He shrugs. “We were all making friends and spending time with each other so I didn’t think anything of it.”

“It was easier to see if you were a girl,” Jade chimes in. “They spent a lot of time in Taylor’s room so of course the lads wouldn’t see it.”

“Ladies?” Dermot asks, looking amongst the five who are seated on stage. “Did you all see it?”

They’re nodding, except for Gemma, who was eliminated before it happened. Barbara tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and says, “I thought about saying something, but I wanted to wait a little longer, to see if it was something that was going to last.”

“Harry, Taylor, I want to address the two of you on this, as well,” Dermot says, looking to the two of them. “Now - a question we were sent in a lot, when coming up with things to ask, is just how far did the two of you go together?”

“Okay, that’s unfair, though,” Taylor chimes in. “We weren’t dating. Ever.”

Harry cards a hand through his long curly locks and says, “We didn’t do anything.”

“You kissed her forehead,” Demi says.

Harry sighs and says, “There’s a lot you can do when comforting a person. And some of it just happens, and you don’t really think about it.”

“He wasn’t trying to make a pass at me,” Taylor says as she comes to Harry’s defense. “I would have known, and I would have said something. He was a perfect gentleman. He gave me comfort when I was upset and worried and I’m so, so grateful for it. Being in that position, so far away from home, it’s terrifying. Especially when that’s the only place you want to be.”

The crowd cheers for her, showing their support and solidarity through applause. After a few moments, Dermot chimes in again and says, “Now, one other thing we’d all love to know, if you’re willing to share, is Taylor - how is your mum doing?”

Taylor’s expression brightens at that, and she says, “It’s too soon to say if she’s going to beat it, but she’s doing really well. She’s such a fighter, and I’m so proud to call her my mom. She’s moving around, going to treatments, and she’s not letting it affect her everyday life. She’s my hero.”

Everyone in the room applauds wildly at that, including Dermot and all of the dates. Taylor looks overwhelmed, but smiles brightly and thanks everyone, though she can’t be heard over the thunderous applause.

“And speaking of other drama,” Dermot says, to draw attention back to the show, “We had one other little hiccup in an otherwise peaceful season: Nick and Bressie. Do you guys want to talk to us about what happened?”

Nick chuckles and says, “I’m not quite sure, to be honest. He got awfully jealous when I had a few private minutes with Niall.” It’s clear that his words are going to set off Bressie, at least a little, but he doesn’t back off. “All we did was go closer to the stage in Montreal, to meet Ed Sheeran.”

“It was a _group_ date,” Bressie argues. “You can have your own time at the cocktail parties. In the middle of the date is _not_ a good time to take your one on one time with him.”

“There wasn’t exactly a better time to introduce him to the person _on stage_ ,” Nick says. “You can’t do that during a cocktail party.”

Bressie shakes his head, “Maybe it means you shouldn’ta done it at all.”

Nick snorts. “It made Niall so _happy_ ,” Nick says in reply. “Isn’t that the most important part? He likes listening to Ed’s music, and I knew I could give him that experience. In the end, Niall was the most important and I made sure he felt that way.”

“Did anyone else on that date feel like what Nick did was unfair?” Dermot asks, addressing a few of the others in the crowd.

“I was a little jealous, actually. I wish I could have met Ed, too!” Jade chimes in with a smile on her face. “I wasn’t all that upset. Like he said - making Niall happy is the most important part.”

“I knew it wouldn’t take long,” Demi shrugs. “I guess part of me felt jealous, but mostly because Niall got to meet Ed, not because he was getting alone time with Nick.”

Liam shrugs it off and says, “It bothered me a little, but it wasn’t worth bringing up, honestly.”

Dermot looks confused and asks, “Why did you feel that way?”

“Well, it’s kind of like they said. We’re there to get to know Niall, and to make him happy, and that’s what Nick was doing. I can’t fault him for that. It just hurt because I realized that there are some experiences others can give him that I can’t. That like, if he’d chosen me, there’s a whole bunch of things I wouldn’t be able to do for him.”

With a nod, Dermot says, “Interesting. Liam, don’t drop that train of thought.” He turns to the camera and says, “We’ll be having a one on one chat with Liam after the break, and later - the announcement of next season’s bachelor or bachelorette!”

The crowd starts to cheer and the cameras switch off. Dermot gestures for Liam to come down to the sofa up front, and he walks down, looking a little nervous. He puts a smile on his face when the crowd cheers for him even though the cameras are off, and that makes him all blushy and crinkly-eyed. He waves to the crowd and then settles in on the sofa facing Dermot.

It’s a short break this time, and when they come back, the cheers erupt louder than ever for Liam. He smiles and looks down at his lap, impossibly happy at the support. Even some of the dates are clapping for him, Louis the most enthusiastic of them all. Dermot settles in and as the applause dies down, he shuffles the cue cards again. “So, Liam,” he begins. “Before the break, you were telling us your feelings on the group date in Montreal. You said that if he’d chosen you, there were a bunch of things you wouldn’t have been able to do for him. We saw over the course of the season that sometimes your past and your insecurities about the past got in the way of your dating Niall. I want to talk to you about that. Do you think that’s true?”

Liam swallows hard and nods a little. “I mean, I think so. A little bit. But there’s more to it than that. I don’t think a lot of viewers realize that by the end, we were very isolated when we weren’t with Niall on dates. I got trapped in my own head. It made me so insecure and I’m embarrassed I was like that on the telly for all to see. That Niall had to see it, too.”

“Do you feel like if you’d made it to the end and gotten the final rose, you would have been happy with Niall?” Dermot asks.

Liam scratches at his chin and says, “I was always happy when I was with Niall. And I hope he knows that, even if sometimes I did a really poor job of showing it. But watching it back, it’s clear he was meant to choose the other two for the finale. And Louis - he and Niall were made for each other. They’re both so selfless and so deserving of a happy ending, and I really do wish them all the best. There are no hard feelings, honestly.”

The crowd cheers again, and Liam looks over his shoulder at Louis, who can’t stop smiling. He mouths _thank you_ to Liam, who nods to him in return.

“Well Liam, I’m sure you’ve got a few questions for Niall, after being sent home in the penultimate episode of the season,” Dermot says. “We’re going to bring him out right now. How are you feeling?”

“A little nervous, to be honest, but mostly I’m just excited to see him again,” Liam confesses.

“What’s the first thing you want to ask him?” Dermot asks.

Liam shrugs. “Dunno, really. I’d rather congratulate him first, then chat with him after.”

The crowd cheers again, and Dermot takes that as his cue to stand up and move on to the next part of the show. “Alright ladies and gentlemen, the moment of the show we’ve been waiting for: let’s bring out Niall!”

Applause fills the room, is so loud it feels a little deafening, and Louis can’t keep the ridiculous grin off his face as he sees Niall walk out from the side of the stage. He looks amazing, wearing navy trousers and a gray jumper, and he’s got his hair quiffed just so. Grinning from ear to ear, Niall waves at everyone and follows Dermot’s lead. 

Liam scoots down the sofa, leaving room on his other side for Niall, at the end of the sofa right next to Dermot. “Welcome, Niall. Good to see you,” Dermot says as he sits back down in his armchair.

“Thanks, good to see you too,” Niall nods.

“As you can see, we’ve got Liam down here. We were just having a chat with him about his final weeks in the house,” Dermot explains, and Niall nods along. He looks over at Liam and gives him a smile, though it’s clear by his stiff body language that he’s not so sure how to act. “Liam was telling us that he thought, had he been chosen, that there were things he wouldn’t have been able to do or provide for you. Did you feel that way? Was that what pushed you to your final decision to send him home?”

Niall frowns, and he shakes his head. He looks over at Liam sadly and asks, “Is that really how you felt?”

Liam wrings his hands together briefly before he says, “First off, I want to congratulate you and Louis. Honestly, I think you two are absolutely wonderful together.”

Smiling, Niall nods and says, “Thank you.”

There’s some applause in the group, and Liam can hear Louis thanking him as well. Then Liam starts again, “Second, what I said was given to you a little out of context. In the case of being in Montreal, and Nick being able to introduce you to Ed Sheeran like that - it’s not something I would ever be able to do. Clearly. Because that’s not my career. I haven’t got those connections.”

Liam sighs. “As for the rest, including what happened on our night in the fantasy suite -,” there are some whistles from the crowd, but neither Liam or Niall looks coy or embarrassed about it, so it’s clear nothing sexual happened, “I think we both learned that there are things that you were ready for that I wasn’t. Things you’d experienced and enjoyed. Things I wasn’t ready for and _still_ don’t feel ready for.”

“Of course, I completely understand,” Niall says, and he nods before he goes on to reply, “We each move at our own pace and I get that. Two months isn’t a lot of time, when it comes down to it. And you can’t always fall that fast.”

“Liam, do you feel like you could have, if you’d been with someone other than Niall?” Dermot asks.

Niall turns from Dermot to Liam, worrying his lip between his teeth as Liam laughs nervously. “Well, that’s not really a fair question now, is it?” Liam asks. “I really care about Niall. It’s a friendship sort of love, and maybe it’s because we broke off the relationship, or maybe breaking up was what helped me realize that, but it’s true. I care about Niall to this day, but not in a romantic way.”

“You still care for him?” Dermot asks, sounding surprised.

“Of course I do,” Liam nods. “You can’t go through a process like this and not care about a person. And Niall - I wish him nothing but the best, honestly. I knew going into this that I had a one in twenty-five chance of coming out engaged. It wasn’t my turn and I’m alright with that now.”

“It sounds like getting sent home gave you plenty of time to think,” Dermot comments.

Liam nods again, and he says, “Honestly, Niall, I completely understand why it happened. And I’m sorry I was so insecure and that you had to work through that with me. I got so caught up in my head during those last few weeks. The isolation will do that.”

“I understand,” Niall insists. “Really, none of it was a problem. I hope it wasn’t too hard for you, going home and getting back into the swing of things after we broke up.”

“I was alright,” Liam says. “Getting back into work was good for me. Kept me distracted and calm. I talked it through with Andy, got a chance to process it in the company of some really great people.”

Niall smiles over at Liam and says, “I’m glad you’re doing so well. Really.”

The crowd applauds, and Dermot takes that opportunity to transition to the next part of the show. “Thank you Liam. Why don’t you have a seat back with the rest of the dates. We’re going to give Nick a chance to have a chat with Niall, as well. Niall, how are you feeling?”

Liam stands up and Nick takes that opportunity to walk to the sofa as Niall says, “I’m doing great. I’m really happy.”

“Good, we’re glad to hear that!” Dermot says. “Life is good, still? Six months later?”

Niall’s grinning from ear to ear as he says, “Yeah, it’s fantastic.”

Nick takes a seat and crosses one leg over the other as he faces Dermot and Niall. “Alright, Nick, so how are you feeling, seeing Niall again? You haven’t seen him since the breakup, correct?” Dermot asks.

With a nod, Nick says, “That would be correct, yes. It’s been a full six months since we saw each other last.”

“You look great. You doing alright?” Niall says to Nick.

Nick chuckles and says, “I’m absolutely heartbroken, thanks.” A few members of the audience laugh, but Nick’s face grows serious as he says, “I was obviously gutted in the moment, but months later the sting has worn off, you know? And I’m doing alright.”

“Have you gotten back into dating?” Dermot asks.

“Not quite yet,” Nick says. “Gone out a few times with some mates but that’s all. And I’m content with that, for now.”

“I didn’t ruin anything for you, did I?” Niall asks worriedly.

Nick smiles. “Not at all, love. I’m just fine. My friends maintain that I’m a commitment-phobe, though.”

“You just haven’t met the right person to settle down with,” Niall says.

Eyeing Niall fondly, Nick nods and says, “Maybe you’re right.”

Nobody knows it, but Nick’s actually got plans with Harry after they finish taping the show. He’s not sure what it’s going to mean, what will come out of it, but he remembers having a good time with Harry while filming for the show, just as mates. Nick wants that sort of familiar warmth and laughter back in his life.

The crowd applauds for both of them, and then Dermot turns to face the camera. “Alright, after this break we’re going to bring Louis down, chat with him about his journey on the show, and see where he and Niall are now. _Plus_ , stay tuned for the announcement you’ve all been waiting for: next season’s bachelor or bachelorette. One lucky member of this cast has been chosen and will be broadcasting their journey to find love for all of you to see next season.”

The cameras switch off and Niall is able to give Nick and Liam both proper hugs and hellos, everyone else standing up to stretch their legs after sitting in rows off to the side, for the interviews. Niall’s nervous, seeing some of them again, especially the ones who left on not so great notes. 

He gets a chance to turn to them and acknowledge them before he’s sitting back down on the sofa at the insistence of the crew, this time with nobody to his left. Dermot waits until the cameras are rolling before he says, “Welcome back ladies and gentlemen. It’s been an exciting episode so far, and recently we were joined by Niall. Before we bring Louis down and chat with them about what life has been like since the engagement, I’m going to open up the floor to the other dates who’ve been sitting here, waiting patiently. Do any of you have questions for Niall?”

“Actually, before we get started, I was hoping I could ask a question first?” Niall asks.

Dermot looks confused and his eyes dart down to his cue card for a moment before he says, “Sure. Niall, the floor is yours.”

Niall turns and looks to his left before he says, “Taylor, I just wanted to ask you how your mum was doing. I know you were really worried when we saw each other last, and I haven’t heard since.”

Taylor smiles, bright and warm, and she says, “Oh, Niall… thank you. She’s doing well. She’s not in remission or anything, but she’s been going to treatment and she’s so strong.”

“Good,” Niall says, genuinely looking glad to hear some good news for her. “I’m so glad.”

“I never really got a chance to thank you for that,” Taylor says. “For your understanding, I mean. Being so okay with my decision to go be with her. I hope you never took it as a statement against you, like I wasn’t interested in you.”

“Not at all,” he insists. “I completely understand. I would’ve made the same decision you did, were the roles reversed.”

The crowd cheers for them, as they do whenever anything nice is said, it seems, and Taylor and Niall both smile before Niall puts himself at the whim of the entire group.

“I have a question,” Barbara says, holding a hand up in the air.

The room quiets, and all eyes are on her. “I was talking to Jade during the last break,” she says, gesturing to Jade who is seated right next to her. “She and I were both wondering when you knew you’d want to marry a man, rather than a woman.”

“Interesting,” Dermot says, turning to Niall. “Was that a conscious decision you made?”

“It wasn’t, no,” Niall says, shaking his head. He stays turned with his attention on Barbara and Jade and says, “I’m sorry if it felt like it was. I genuinely just based it all off of personality and chemistry.”

“What made you ladies feel as though he’d decided against marrying a woman, can I ask?” Dermot wonders.

“At the end, in New York, before you sent both of us home, we were starting to wonder,” Jade says. “When it came down to the two of us and Louis at the end of the rose ceremony, we thought for sure you’d keep one of us, because you still hadn’t decided about marrying a man or woman. But as soon as we saw you run after Louis, we knew.”

Niall frowns. Before he can say anything apologetic to the girls, Dermot cuts in and asks, “We all want to know, Niall: during that rose ceremony, when you chased after Louis, did you know before that - going into the ceremony, I mean - that you were going to choose Louis? As you can imagine, some fans of the show watched that episode and would argue that you gave the rose to Louis out of pity.”

Before Dermot has even finished the question, Niall is shaking his head, and he’s frowning as he says, “First of all - Jade, Barbara, I’m really sorry I made you feel that way. I never wanted to hurt anyone in this process. I hope you know that.” The ladies nod; getting hurt is just part of the process, and they knew this, but it was still a tough situation to be in.

Once that’s cleared up, Niall continues, “No, I think it’s pretty obvious, watching back, that I was going to give him the rose anyway. He would never have made it to the end if I wasn’t. I think we can all see that Louis and I had a chemistry, and that week was no exception. I knew going into the ceremony exactly who I’d keep and who I’d send home, and the events during the ceremony didn’t change that.”

“During the season we saw a lot of dates with self-confidence issues, like Liam’s and Zayn’s, but Louis - you had one of the biggest insecurities of them all. Why don’t you come down and join us, we’ll have a chat about it?” Dermot suggests.

Louis shrugs and nods, and he walks out on stage proper, to sit on the sofa next to Niall. Unlike the others, Louis doesn’t leave a space between them. Instead, he sits nice and close, their thighs touching, Niall’s hand reaching over to rest upon Louis’s thigh on instinct, like it’s a habit now. It doesn’t go unnoticed by the audience and least of all, Dermot, and as Louis sits down Dermot asks, “So, all is going well in paradise?”

“Yeah, being with Niall is really great,” Louis says.

“Amazing,” Niall agrees.

“So Louis,” Dermot says, giving no time at all to transition into the main topic. “It wasn’t very long into the season before we found out that you had a little lad at home. How did it feel, going into this process knowing you were dating for not only yourself, but for your son, as well?”

Louis chuckles nervously. “Well, sounds a bit odd, that,” he says. “But honestly it was just really, really nerve-wracking. It was so hard to decide whether or not to even give this a real shot. Like I said in the episode - dunno which one it was, off hand - I auditioned sort of as a joke, but as it got more serious and I realized I might have a shot with him, I didn’t want to quit.”

“Was it hard, leaving your son with your mother for so long?” Dermot asks.

“It was, yeah. I needed to be sure this was the best move for both of us. And well - clearly, it was,” Louis says, glancing over at Niall. He rests his hand atop Niall’s, and then continues, “The harder thing, though, was continuing to be away from him. I never realized what a massive part of my life he was until he wasn’t there. When I had to call my mum so I could talk to my son, and stuff.”

“Well, from what we could see in the episodes, it was very clear just how much you care for your son, and what a great father you are to little Freddie,” Dermot says. The entire crowd, including all the dates, erupt into massive applause. Even Niall lets go of the gentle hold he had on Louis’s thigh so he can clap for him, smile at him, praise him.

Louis grins widely, cheeks bright pink and flushed with flattery, and he shakes his head, trying to brush it off like nothing. “You cared for him _so much_ ,” Dermot says loudly, to get the attention back on the conversation at hand, “that you very nearly sabotaged your relationship with Niall.”

“Yes, well, it didn’t feel like it to me at the time, I’ll be honest,” Louis confesses. He reaches over and slides his fingers through Niall’s, holding his hand without even thinking about it as he continues the interview. “Honestly, like, in the moment I had no idea. Watching it back, though - I definitely see it. But I was really just genuinely nervous and trying to do the right thing by Freddie.”

“You did,” Taylor calls from where she’s sitting with the other eleven dates.

“Watching it back, seeing how close you are with him, I’m honestly so amazed and impressed by how well you handled it,” Gemma adds.

All of the dates applaud Louis, with the audience joining in. Louis looks stunned, staring at these people who are showing him so much support. Louis won’t say it out loud, at least not to anyone but Niall, but he’d been worried and paranoid that people hoped he’d be sent home, _because_ he had a kid. Rather, they seem to praise him for it, which is a mind-blowing sentiment for Louis to wrap his head around. “Thank you all, so much,” Louis says, looking genuinely surprised.

“He’s an amazing dad,” Niall says, turning his attention to Louis. “I could see that he was nervous about it throughout the whole thing, but - knowing someone cared so much for their child that they’d give up time with them in order to make them the perfect family? That was just really amazing to see.”

“Niall, stop it,” Louis mutters, pretending to look annoyed. He’s squeezing Niall’s hand and leaning against him gently, nudging him, and it’s clear that Niall’s words mean more to him than he could ever hope to put into words.

“Alright, so, now to get to the part we’re all really dying to know,” Dermot says, pulling the couple out of their little moment with each other. “What’s next for you two? Have you started planning the wedding? Has anyone moved yet?”

Niall chuckles. “Actually, after the finale, we went right to my flat in Dublin. Like, the limo scene at the end, when we’re leaving with Freddie? That limo took us directly to my flat. I’d ordered some boxes already and we packed everything up.”

“How did you find a place to live, if you were in Dublin up until the finale?” Dermot asks.

“I had my mum go out to England and do house hunting for me. Right now we’ve just got a flat in Manchester while Louis looks for work,” Niall explains. “Once he finds a job, we’re going to actually look for a house in the city where he’ll be.”

“Louis, we got a little insight from your mum during hometowns. She said that you were afraid to move out of Doncaster because you’d have no support system. Does it feel different now?” Dermot wonders.

“Oh, definitely,” Louis says, smiling proudly. “I don’t want to become totally dependent on Niall, and I’ve got savings of course, but knowing I’ve got someone to take care of Freddie with me, so I can go to interviews and go to work during the day - it’s a huge weight off my shoulders. It’s scary, thinking about moving somewhere new with nobody. I’d have Freddie, but parents need adult friends, too. And I wouldn’t have had that. But now I do.”

“So that’s a lot you’re sorting out, then,” Dermot says. “Job hunting and possibly shopping for a new home… and a wedding, too?”

“Yeah, a wedding,” Niall says with a laugh.

“Right now it’s planned for this summer. We haven’t yet paid for the venue because we’re stuck between July or August, and it depends on whether I get a job that’s looking very hopeful, but it’ll be this summer sometime,” Louis explains. 

“Freddie’s going to be in it, and our good friends, and of course our families will be there,” Niall adds. “They met for the first time about a month ago - our families, I mean - and they took to each other really well.”

“Niall, is your family more laid back about you taking on a husband and a son?” Dermot asks.

“Yeah,” Niall nods. “After they met Freddie, and saw the way we were already a little family unit, a lot of their worries were gone.” 

“The other pressing question we got from a lot of your fans was whether you guys are planning to give Freddie any siblings,” Dermot says with a grin.

Louis laughs, his expression bright, and he says, “We’ve not talked all that seriously about it, like we haven’t planned out a timeline or called any adoption or surrogacy agencies, but we both want that, yeah. Sometime after the craziness of settling into a life together calms down. We want to both be working, have a home, be settled. And that’s what those agencies would want to see, too.”

“Niall? You ready to be a father?”

“I’ve been ready for a long time,” Niall says. “Clearly I was ready, if I was willing to have both Louis and Freddie in my life.”

“And we wish the three of you nothing but the best,” Dermot says warmly to the both of them.

The entire room applauds for Louis and Niall, who look quite pleased to finally be able to be public with their relationship again. Dermot lets the applause carry on for a little bit until finally he stands up and moves to the center of the stage. “Now, as all of you have been eagerly awaiting, it’s time to reveal who our next bachelor or bachelorette will be. As you all know, they will be chosen from the dates who did not get a ring on Niall’s season of The Bachelor. Tonight, it is one of these eleven people behind me, in the chairs.”

Dermot gestures behind him, and the room grows quiet. “Not even the person chosen knows yet that they are our next bachelor or bachelorette,” he says. “Are we all ready to find out who it is?”

Niall and Louis cheer loudly, along with the audience, and the eleven dates left sitting in the two rows of chairs watch anxiously.

“Ladies and gentlemen, next season, your Bachelor will be none other than Mister Liam Payne!”

The crowd erupts into cheers and Louis looks massively surprised as he turns to look over his shoulder at Liam, who is staring with wide, incredulous eyes. Dermot gestures to Liam to come up to center stage with him, to face the crowd and accept the honors. “Liam,” Dermot says, and the crowd’s cheers start to die out so they can hear what he’s going to say. “Liam, how do you feel, knowing you’re going to be the next Bachelor?”

“I mean, obviously going into something like this, it’s always a little nerve wracking, but honestly I’m really excited. I’m ready to settle down and start a life with someone,” he says.

“Well, we hope you do just that next season,” Dermot says. He looks over his shoulder at Niall and asks, “Niall, any advice for the newest Bachelor?”

“Always trust your heart,” Niall says. “Sounds cheesy but once you’re in my shoes, you’ll get it.”

Liam nods, and he turns back to Dermot, who is clapping him on the back. “Congratulations, Liam!” He turns to the camera and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for tuning in to this season of The Bachelor, all ten dramatic weeks and for our _After the Final Rose_ special tonight. See you next season!”

The crowd cheers again, and so do the dates, and Liam looks pink in the cheeks and flustered at the honor of being named the next Bachelor. As the camera shot fades to black, Louis and Niall share a soft kiss, and the other dates begin approaching Liam, clapping him on the back, a few looking relieved for having escaped the confusion of another season of searching for love in the fast-paced process that is _The Bachelor_.


End file.
